From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Nov 9: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar paid glowing tributes to the Congress Seva Dal workers for their role in the country’s freedom struggle and in the Congress party’s growth.

Participating in the centenary celebrations and inauguration of the State-level conference of Congress Seva Dal at the Palace Grounds on Thursday, they said the Congress Seva Dal was committed to social justice, national integrity and struggle.

Siddaramaiah described the Congress Seva Dal wedded to service and sacrifice as the foundation of the Congress party and pointed out that the BJP as well as the Sangh Parivar outfits had no role in the country’s freedom struggle and unaware of the country’s rich history.

Attributing the Congress party’s victory to the service and hard work of Seva Dal activists in the State assembly elections, the Chief Minister asked them to work hard with dedication to wipe out BJP in the ensuing lok sabha elections in the State.

Shivakumar said the BJP is unaware of the country’s history and was now trying to rename the country as Bharat, when the Congress party’s frontal organisation of Bharat Seva Dal is celebrating its centenary. Even before the independence, the organisation was named as Bharat Seva Dal while BJP is trying to change the country’s name to Bharat as it was scared of the opposition parties coming together under the INDIA banner.

The Deputy Chief Minister said former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and all other former Prime Ministers and other senior party leaders had worked in the Seva Dal and pointed out that when he took over as KPCC chief, the honour of lighting the lamp was done by the Seva Dal President Pyarejan.

Shivakumar said the Seva Dal has a rich history of service and sacrifice. He mentioned that when the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru attended the national executive of seva dal held at Nashik in 1959, the seva dal workers Kamalakar Sharma had blocked the entry of Nehru for not attending the event by wearing the Seva Dal identity card.

When Sharma was taken to task by other Seva Dal workers for preventing Nehru’s entry, the former had non-chalantly said that he was well aware of the identity but had blocked the entry for not following the basic rule of wearing the Seva Dal identity. "I had blocked his entry for not following the discipline ingrained in us,’’ he had replied.

A deeply impressed Nehru had termed the Seva Dal workers as 'Tiranga ka Praharis’ or protectors of the tricolour.

KPCC Working President Saleem Ahmed and other senior party leaders attended the function.