Rahul Gandhi addressing Congress event to mark Nehru’s 125 birth anniversary

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Nov 13, 2014: Amid a bitter feud with the ruling BJP to stake claim to the political legacy of leaders of India’s freedom struggle, the Congress party on Thursday kickstarted a series of commemorative events to mark the 125th birth anniversary of former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru amid much fanfare.

Here are the live updates:

Delhi Pradesh Congress president Avinder Lovely welcomes party leaders, guests and party workers after felicitating Sonia Gandhi.

Ex-PM Manmohan Singh pays floral tribute to Pandit Nehru.

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, VP Rahul Gandhi pay floral tributes to Pandit Nehru.

Congress national president Sonia Gandhi, her son and party vice president Rahul, former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh and other senior Congress leaders arrive at the venue.

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul will address the party workers here and attend a memorial service at Shanti Van and other cultural programmes.

After a formal start to the event, school children performed during Pandit Nehru’s 125th Birth Anniversary celebrations at Talkatora Stadium here.

The Congress is locked in a bitter political war with the ruling BJP over former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s legacy and the party’s plans to celebrate Nehru’s birth anniversary in a grand manner is seen as a move to counter the latter, which recently organised a grand national day of unity to mark Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s birth anniversary.

As per reports, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, party vice-president Rahul Gandhi, along with former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, who is also the chairman of the committee that will oversee the year-long celebration of Nehru’s birth anniversary, will administer a pledge to protect his values and vision to party workers.

According to Congress Delhi Legislative Party leader Harun Yusuf, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul will also address the party workers on the occasion.

Seeking to revive the Nehruvian ‘idea of India’, Congress spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed on Wednesday said that his party had invited leaders of all the Left parties, the JD(U), the RJD, the Trinamool Congress and other parties. However, none of the BJP allies has been invited.

An invite has been reportedly sent to its former ally, TMC led by Mamata Banerjee. Former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar too has been invited to the international function to be held in Delhi on November 17-18.

Invites have also been extended to several world leaders, including the former Presidents of Afghanistan (Hamid Karzai), Ghana (John Kufuor)and Nigeria (Olusegun Obasanjo) as well as former Nepal Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal. Among the international political parties, the African National Congress (ANC), Communist Party of China (CPC), Awami League of Bangladesh, Nepali Congress, Communist Party of Vietnam have also been invited.

 

Courtesy: Zeenews