Today's Congress is 'duplicate' led by 'fake Gandhis', claims Union Minister Pralhad Joshi

Hubballi: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Monday alleged that the present Congress party is "duplicate Congress" led by fake "Gandhis" and noted that they were not the inheritors of party that was there during Mahatma Gandhi's time.

He also alleged that government money was being used by the ruling party for the centenary celebrations of the 1924 Indian National Congress session that was presided over by Mahatma Gandhi in Belagavi.

The 39th session of the Indian National Congress held in Belagavi was the only Congress session presided over by Mahatma Gandhi.

The centenary event is scheduled in Belagavi on December 26 and 27.

"Today's Congress party is not the inheritors of the Congress party during Mahatma Gandhi's time. What is there now is a duplicate Congress and fake Gandhis (referring to Sonia and Rahul Gandhi)," Joshi said.

Speaking to reporters here, he alleged that thousands of rupees from the government is being spent and decorative light arrangements have been done by Hubballi Electricity Supply Company (HESCOM) in Belagavi for the celebrations. "Entirely government money." "What is your relationship with Mahatma Gandhi's Congress? Your Congress is a duplicate Congress. Congress has got spoiled after getting split several times.

What is there now is a group of thieves. You Gandhis are fake Gandhis. Why is government money spent on fake Gandhis' fake Congress? It has to be immediately stopped and the money spent has to be made public and the Congress party has to pay the money," he said.

Further noting that after getting to know about objections being raised over government money being spent for the event, the Congress is playing a new "drama" by trying to project it as an event of Mahatma Gandhi, who fought for the country's freedom, and started inviting everyone for it, Joshi said and added that "they are trying to give it a new twist, but people are not fools."

"There is a huge difference between this Congress and the then Congress. There is no relation between them. What is there today is a group of thieves, today's Gandhis are fake Gandhis," he added.

The party has decided to hold a meeting of the Congress Working Committee ( CWC) on December 26 in Belagavi and a public meeting on December 27.

Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress chief D K Shivakumar had recently said that as part of the government programme there will be the unveiling of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi on December 26 on the premises of Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, by Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge.