BENGALURU: The 85th plenary session of the AICC, marking the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi presiding over the 39th session in 1924 in Belagavi – scheduled to be held on December 26 ahead of a public rally on December 27, is likely to pass resolutions revolving around the Indian Constitution and its architect Dr BR Ambedkar.
With Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement in the Rajya Sabha that it has become a “fashion” for Congress leaders to chant Ambedkar’s name that has triggered widespread protests across the country, Congress has been thinking of adopting a resolution criticising his statement. The resolution will contain the names of Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who supported his minister on the issue, party sources said.
The Grand Old Party’s plan is to draw the attention of the country and woo Ambedkarites, especially Dalits, backward classes and minorities, and send out a message that Congress was never averse to Ambedkar as alleged by BJP. The session is being seen as an ideal opportunity as it would be presided over by party president Mallikarjun Kharge, a Dalit, on his home turf Karnataka. A resolution appreciating Kharge for his ‘selfless’ service to the party is likely to be adopted, sources said.
Congress has been campaigning that the Constitution faces a threat under the Modi government and the party is likely to stress on that point during the public rally on December 27.
A Congress MLC told TNIE, “It is noticed that BJP suffered a setback in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, could not come back to power on its own and formed an alliance government as some of its leaders spoke of changing the Constitution if the saffron party secured over 400 LS seats. Now, SC/ST leaders, who benefited from political reservation within BJP, have come under attack for not raising their voice against Shah’s remarks on Ambedkar.”
A resolution on Gandhi’s efforts to eradicate untouchability, which was a resolution passed in 1924 as well, would be passed during this session to make it a historic meeting, sources said.