CM urges Youth Cong to protect secular values
on Friday urged Youth Congress members to protect socialist and secular values enshrined in the Constitution.
Congratulating the new officebearers of Youth
during the oath-taking ceremony at Indira Gandhi Congress Bhavan here, Siddaramaiah said Sangh Parivar is posing a danger to secularism and socialism of the country. "
has been against social justice ever since its inception.
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Youth of this country should stand united to defeat the conspiracy. Youth Congress workers should never compromise on their principles so they can survive and grow politically," he said.
It is Congress which implemented the Mandal Commission report and provided reservations in education and employment, but the communalists and casteists opposed the report. Youth Congress workers should remember this anti-people history, he said.
It is the Congress that provided reservation for women. Former PM Rajiv Gandhi brought a constitutional amendment to extend 35% women's reservation in local bodies, and AICC former chief Sonia Gandhi fought to increase it to 50%. This should be remembered, the CM said.
Although RSS was started in 1925, its senior leaders K B Hedgewar and M S Golwalkar did not participate in India's freedom struggle. Young friends should know this, he said.
The political wing of RSS, Jan Sangh, later became BJP. They talked loudly about patriotism, but stayed away from the freedom struggle. They never stood for the country, he claimed. "They never attempt to unite society. PM Modi talks about 'Sabka Saath', but among BJP's 240 MPs, not one is a minority," Siddaramaiah revealed. They never respect national leader B R Ambedkar. Ambedkar himself wrote a letter stating that RSS' Vinayak Damodar Savarkar defeated him in the election.
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Youth should understand this, and Youth Congress members should educate them, he stated.
Siddaramaiah suggested that the young members avoid factionalism and not follow one leader.
Open debate on works
Siddaramaiah on Friday challenged the opposition BJP to come for an open debate on a common platform with regard to developmental works. "Let BJP come for an open debate with us. Why is BJP not ready to accept this challenge? Because BJP has done nothing but making empty promises.
Let its functionaries prove with evidence of their work. Has BJP done anything for Mysuru? Siddaramaiah asked.
All development works in Mysuru, including the construction of Maharani's College, hospitals, and Jayadeva Hospital, were done by Congress. As the chief minister, I developed Mysuru under the Congress govt, he claimed.
Earlier, Siddaramaiah said Sadana Samavesha is organised in Mysuru city on Saturday to tell citizens about what Congress has done during its tenure and to decimate BJP's claim that Congress hasn't done any development. Siddaramaiah questioned as to how the govt can spend Rs 2,600 crores for Mysuru city alone when BJP is claiming Congress has become bankrupt because of guarantee schemes.
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