Strengthen Congress to regain past glory in coastal districts: Shivakumar

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and state PCC president D K Shivakumar has urged party workers in the coastal districts to strengthen the Congress to regain its past glory in the region.

Addressing a workers' meeting at the district Congress committee office Wednesday evening, he said the state-level convention of the party will be held in Mangaluru next month to prepare ground for the coming Lok Sabha elections.

AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and other national leaders are expected to attend the convention, to be jointly organised by the district units of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi.

He said the party should be activated at the booth-level by involving more youth and the people should be made aware of the benefits of the guarantees implemented by the Congress government in the state.

Shivakumar said the party needs more activists at the booth-level than leaders. The differences in the party in Sullia block of DK district should be sorted out among leaders.

He said the party workers should not get disappointed over the results of the last Assembly elections in the two districts where it could only win two seats. Attempts should be made to turn the Congress into a cadre-based party with the active involvement of result-oriented workers.

Later taking part in the annual conference of Karnataka state Sunni Yuvajana Sangha (SYS), Shivakumar said the Siddramaiah-led government is committed to protecting the rights of the minorities.

Without commenting on the contentious issues raised at the conference including hijab, he said the future of the country rests in the hands of the youth.

Earlier, talking to reporters, Shivakumar said the hijab issue and related religious matters are before court and should be addressed within the framework of law and the Constitution, ensuring protection of the rights of all religions.