Bengaluru, Jan 26 (IANS): Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday asked the party's Karnataka leadership to appropriately evaluate the ideology and background of the leaders who are brought into the party.

It should not be a situation of they came today and exited tomorrow, he added.

In his address at the party headquarters on Friday against the backdrop of former CM Jagadish Shettar quitting the party to rejoin the BJP from Congress, Kharge maintained that it is fair to strengthen the party by pulling leaders from other political outfits, but there is a need to verify their loyalty.

"In rural regions at the time of purchase of animals, they (the buyers) think many times and check their weight, measurement. Likewise, while taking others into the Congress, there must be careful consideration. It is important to ascertain the character, the situation they were in and their belief in ideologies while bringing them to party. The party stands on the pillars of ideology and principles. The leaders of the party have sacrificed their lives for the unity of the country. Late PM Indira Gandhi took 32 bullets and gave away her life for the unity of the country. Late PM Rajiv Gandhi had taken a pledge that even if his body withers away into pieces, he would uphold unity and integrity of the country.

"Our party is concerned about the poor, laborers, students, women, SC and ST communities. In many countries especially in developed nations, there was no voting rights given to women until recent two to three decades. But, in this country, the voting rights for women were given when the Constitution came into force for the first time in the world," Kharge said, adding that then PM Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar were behind it.

The Constitution has given equal rights for all and these values need to be protected, he said.

The Congress has secured them, he said.

"Many do not know history. Youths do not know who carried out the freedom struggle and who brought freedom to the country. The Prime Minister and Union Home Minister are trying to make the Constitution their puppet. If liberty and the Constitution are preserved, the future generation would get opportunities.

"Ambedkar had stated that the people who implement the Constitution must be rightful people then it will have good implications otherwise the results won’t be good. The statement by Ambedkar in 1949 is coming true in the present day. As people who are implementing the Constitution do not have good intentions, the nation is facing many crisis situations," Kharge said.