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Gandhi Bharat meet | Fresh row breaks out over Dandi March ad
Opposition slams advert which shows Mahatma Gandhi leading a group that includes CM Siddaramaiah and deputy CM DK Shivakumar
The countdown has begun for the Gandhi Bharat Convention, scheduled for Tuesday (January 21). Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president DK Shivakumar has stationed himself in Belagavi to personally oversee preparations for the event.
The convention, titled ‘Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan,’ will be held in front of the Suvarna Soudha in Belagavi, coinciding with the unveiling of a grand statue of Mahatma Gandhi. The event commemorates the All India Congress Session led by Gandhi in Belagavi in 1924, marking its centenary.
Why Dandi March ad drew flak?
The Gandhi Bharat programme has attracted criticism due to a government advertisement inspired by Gandhi’s historic Dandi March. The advertisement depicts Mahatma Gandhi leading a group, followed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar, and a crowd behind them. Opposition parties have criticised the ad for equating Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar with Mahatma Gandhi, accusing the Congress and the government of self-aggrandizing propaganda.
Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka took X to share the advertisement alongside sharp criticism.
Also read: Congress Belagavi session, 2024: What happened at similar 1924 event?
"Following Gandhi's ideals—does that mean misappropriating funds meant for the welfare of Scheduled Castes through the Valmiki Development Corporation? Or seizing MUDA plots meant for the homeless?" he said. His remarks also referenced controversies under the Siddaramaiah administration.
‘Gandhi’s visions in hands of pseudo-Gandhis’
He further questioned, "Does embracing Gandhian principles involve justifying anti-national slogans like 'Pakistan Zindabad' or staying silent when acts of cow slaughter occur? Gandhi’s vision seems to have been handed over to pseudo-Gandhis, who have turned the Congress into a mockery."
BJP leader CT Ravi also weighed in, asking, "What will today’s youth think of Gandhi after seeing such advertisements? Will they believe his followers are all corrupt and exploitative?"
Also read: 'Gandhi Bharata': Karnataka CM inaugurates Gangadharrao Deshpande Memorial
Intensifying their attacks at the Siddaramaiah government, Opposition leaders also pointed to scandals such as the MUDA land allocation issue and the Valmiki Corporation embezzlement case. The controversial advertisement has become another focal point of criticism, as the government faces accusations of trivialising Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy by associating him with leaders accused of serious wrongdoing.
(This article was originally published in The Federal Karnataka.)
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