Mysuru
Food and Civil Supplies Minister Rizwan Arshad said that the Congress party is indispensable for protecting the country and the Constitution.
Speaking at a felicitation programme held at the Mysuru City Congress Bhavan on Tuesday, he expressed concern that the BJP and RSS were allegedly dividing and fragmenting society on the basis of lies, destroying love, trust and fraternity and creating a society of hatred. The Congress party has risen against such forces and is fighting them, he said. AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and Opposition Leader in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi are fighting the battle together. If the country has to be protected from the BJP and the Sangh Parivar, no other party, organisation or leader can do it and only the Congress party can effectively take on the BJP. “Our fight today is not for power. It is only for protecting the country and the Constitution,” he said.
Strongly condemning the incident in which the platform where Mallikarjun Kharge had delivered a speech was allegedly purified in Uttarakhand, and said if Kharge can be subjected to such an attack, what will be the condition of ordinary Dalits and minorities?”
The people would not be able to live with dignity as long as the BJP and RSS existed in the country. Atrocities were being committed against Dalits and minorities, while backward classes were also being targeted. Women were not being treated with respect, and farmers and students, including students from upper castes, had also faced attacks.
Rahul Gandhi had held a press conference condemning the insult to Mallikarjun Kharge and demanded action against those responsible. However, instead of filing an FIR against those who carried out the alleged purification, an FIR was registered against Rahul Gandhi for holding the press conference. “This sends a message from the BJP that if they will not spare Rahul Gandhi, they will not spare you either.If Rahul Gandhi himself is not afraid, we too will not be afraid. Even if all the prisons in the country are filled with Congress workers, we will continue our fight to protect the Constitution,” he declared.
Rizwan said he had grown up, pursued his education and built his associations in Mysuru itself. “I have concern for my district and its people. I am making efforts to serve them and become their representative. We have the responsibility of keeping society united. If we want to strengthen the Congress, all of us must remain united,” he said.
Recalling the support he had received from the Congress leadership, Arshad said that Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had played a major role in helping him become a Minister. “Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has given me the responsibility of becoming a Minister with the objective of supporting young people and preparing young leaders for the next generation,” he said.
“Siddaramaiah is popularly called ‘Anna Ramaiah’. It is my good fortune that I have been given charge of the Food and Civil Supplies Department,” he said.
Arshad thanked the CM for giving him an opportunity to implement the programmes introduced by Siddaramaiah in the Food and Civil Supplies sector in a more effective manner.
MLA K. Harish Gowda, City Congress President R. Murthy, District Congress president Dr. B.J. Vijay Kumar, Vice-President of the Guarantee Schemes Authority Pushpa Amarnath, former MLA Bharathi Shankar and others were present at the programme.
