Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan convention cancelled

Belagavi: The "Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan" convention scheduled to be held in Belagavi on Friday has been canceled following the demise of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar announced the decision during a press conference in Belagavi on Thursday late night.

The convention was part of the two-day centenary celebration of the historic Belagavi Session of the Congress. While various programs, including the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, were held on Thursday, all events scheduled for Friday, including the convention, have been canceled.

“All government and party events scheduled for Friday have been canceled. A state holiday has been declared, and a week-long mourning period will be observed across Karnataka,” Shivakumar said.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar and other senior leaders will also travel to Delhi to pay their respects.

“As the party president, it is my duty to pay respects to Manmohan Singh. Senior leaders from the state and I will travel to Delhi. We have all worked under his guidance,” Shivakumar added.

Shivakumar lauded Singh's contributions to Karnataka’s development, particularly Bengaluru. “He significantly contributed to the city’s infrastructure, including flyovers and urban development through the NURM scheme. His achievements cannot be summarized in a day. He stood firmly with farmers by waiving their loans and made remarkable contributions to the nation,” he remarked.

In a post on X, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote, “It was during his tenure as PM that I became the CM of Karnataka for the first time. His encouragement of our budgetary measures and the influence of landmark UPA policies like the Right to Food Act shaped Karnataka's progress and welfare initiatives.”