Rahul Gandhi will be at Sankardeva's birthplace on Jan 22: Jairam Ramesh
North Lakhimpur, Jan 20: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be paying obeisance at the birthplace of Vaishnavite scholar Srimanta Sankardeva in Assam's Nagoan district on the day the consecration ceremony of Ram Temple in Ayodhya will take place, party leader Jairam Ramesh said here on Saturday.
Ramesh is accompanying Gandhi in the party's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' from Manipur to Mumbai, which is on its third day in Assam.
"Everyone has been asking where will Rahul ji and the Yatra be on January 22. I want to tell everyone that on the morning of January 22, Rahul ji will be in Batadrawa Than, the birthplace of Sri Sri Sankardeva", Ramesh said at a press conference at Gobindapur in Lakhimpur district.
"Sankardeva had lived centuries ago but his life still touches crores of people. His ideals are more relevant today," he added.
On January 10, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had "respectfully declined" the invitation to attend the Ram Temple consecration ceremony on January 22 and accused the BJP and the RSS of making it into a "political project" for electoral gain.
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Siddaramaiah, I will abide by Cong high command decision on leadership issue, says Shivakumar
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday said both he and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will abide by any decision takeb by the Congress high command on the leadership issue in the state.
Speaking to reporters after returning from Delhi, the Congress state president said, he has full faith in the party leadership and that it would take an approapriate decision at the appropriate time.
The remarks comes amid speculations within the party and political circles about a possible leadership change and cabinet reshuffle after May 4, when the results for assembly elections in four states and one union territory, along with bypolls to two assembly segments in the Karnataka are announced.
"I will not speak about political issues before the media. I have already said that when the time comes you will get to know. So I will not tell you," Shivakumar said in response to a question on discussions with the Congress high command during his Delhi visit over the last couple of days.
He asserted that there are no issues within the party, and whatever has been already decided will take place accordingly.
Responding to a question on senior Minister Satish Jarkiholi's reported statement about internal differences, the Deputy CM said, "nothing like that, they (high command) will do what they have to do at the appropriate time."
"There are no issues, we have faith in our party, they will do what they have to," he added.
Asked about the issue of leadership change as the government is about to complete three years in office, Shivakumar said, "... I have never discussed this issue. The CM and I have both said that we will accept whatever and whenever the high command decides, and we will abide by it."
He declined to comment when asked whether any "good news" can be expected by his birthday on May 15.
The leadership tussle within the ruling party has intensified amid speculation about a possible change of chief minister after the Congress government completed the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, 2025. The speculation has been fuelled by the reported "power-sharing" arrangement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar at the time of government formation in 2023.
Responding to a question on the BJP's criticism against the Congress government over its decision on internal reservation for Scheduled Castes, alleging injustice to several communities and questioning its intent behind the revised quota formula, Shivakumar said the BJP could not do anything on internal reservation while in power, but the Congress has kept its promise.
"We have found a solution and tried to do justice to all sections among SCs. We have fulfilled the promise made and every one should go together," he said.
Shivakumar warned his party workers against erecting flex banners for his birthday on May 15.
"For May 15, I want to tell everyone that no one should put up flex banners or advertisements for my birthday. If flex are installed I will ensure that cases are registered by authorities against those responsible, whether they are party workers or followers....no one should put such things on roads, this is my personal request," he said, adding that he has asked commissioners of the city corporations to register cases and impose heavy fines.
