Youth Congress should protect constitutional values, remain committed to ideology, says Karnataka CM
He was speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of Youth Congress functionaries and the 'Yuva Shakti Pratijne 2025' event.
The Chief Minister said all those who did not compromise on Congress' ideology has succeeded politically and hence urged the Youth Congress members to remain wedded to the values of the Congress and stand with the party. 'Those who compromise, do not survive or grow politically,' he added.
Mr. Siddaramaiah alleged that the Sangh Parivar was conspiring to obliterate secularism and socialism from the Constitution, and said that the BJP was opposed to the concepts of social justice since its inception.
'I am confident that the youth of the State and the country will stand firm and lead the fight to defeat this conspiracy of the BJP and the Sangh Parivar,' he said.
Describing the BJP as a party whose ideology was not compatible with the Indian society, the Chief Minister said that it follows a view that divides the society, while the JD(S) was not only devoid of any ideology, but had presence in only small pockets.
Mr. Siddaramaiah said that it was the Congress that implemented the Mandal Commission report, and it provided reservations in education and employment while the 'Manuvadis' opposed it.
He further said that it was the Congress that provided women's reservation, and while Rajiv Gandhi brought a constitutional amendment to provide 35% reservation for women, Sonia Gandhi fought hard to raise this to 50%.
Speaking about India's freedom struggle, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that the Congress spearheaded the movement, while the right wing forces represented by RSS and others, joined hands with the British.
''Though RSS was formed in 1925, neither Hedgewar nor Guruji (Golwalkar) took part in the freedom movement. Youth Congress members must remember this aspect of history. The political outfit of the RSS was Jan Sangh, later renamed as the BJP. These people talk aggressively about patriotism, but stayed away from the freedom struggle. They never stood for the nation,' he added.
The Chief Minsiter referred to the speeches of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the concept of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas. 'But the reality is that the BJP has never tried to take Indian society forward together. The party has 240 Members of Parliament but not a single one is from the minority communities. They never respect B.R. Ambedkar, nor honour the Constitution he gave us,' Mr. Siddaramaiah added.
He said that Congress was the only party truly committed to the spirit and values of the Constitution, and urged the Youth Congress members to highlight the role of Savarkar in the defeat of Ambedkar in the 1952 elections.
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