Karnataka joint Assembly session to mark 100th anniversary of Belagavi Congress session, Obama invited

Haveri (Karnataka): The Karnataka government has decided to organise a joint Assembly session to mark the 100th anniversary of the historic 1924 Congress session that was presided over by Mahatma Gandhi in Belagavi.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to former US President Barack Obama to attend the Assembly session, Karnataka Minister HK Patil said.

"It has been decided to organise a joint Assembly session to mark the 100th anniversary of the Belagavi session chaired by Mahatma Gandhi (in 1924). Mahatma Gandhi is the father of the nation. He was not just the leader of India but the leader of the world," Patil told reporters.


"Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written a letter to former US President Barack Obama who is a follower of Gandhi and believes that Mahatma Gandhi is a global leader, to attend the Belagavi session," he said.

The Minister said that the joint Assembly session will take place at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi.

He further said that the date of the session would depend on Obama's confirmation, acknowledging the former President's recognition of Gandhi as a global leader.

The Minister said that Mahatma Gandhi chaired the 39th AICC meeting before Independence, issuing a clarion call for freedom and inspiring many to join the struggle against British rule.

The centennial events will include an extensive program with tributes at 40 significant sites that Gandhi visited across Karnataka.

The plans involve building memorials at these locations and organizing "Rath Yatra Jyothis" from different districts, which are set to converge in Belagavi on December 26 and 27, said the Minister.