Sonia, Rahul to attend Ambedkar's birth anniversary

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and her vice-president Rahul Gandhi will attend the concluding function of the year-long celebrations marking the 125th birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar here on April 11.

"The year-long celebrations of Dr Ambadkar's 125th birth anniversary conducted by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) will conclude in Nagpur on April 11", Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief Ashok Chavan told reporters in Nagpur on Sunday.

"Both the leaders (Sonia and Rahul) will also visit the historic 'Deekshabhooi', the place where Ambedkar embraced Buddhism in 1956 and pay respect to the late Dalit leader," Chavan said, adding, this will be their first visit to it.

Apart from the Gandhis, Opposition Leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad (Rajya Sabha) and Mallikrjuan Kharge (Lok Sabha), senior party functionary Digvijay Singh and other senior leaders will also attend the function, he said.

All the leaders including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul will also address a public meeting at Kasturchand Park, Chavan, a former Maharashtra Chief Minister, said.

The MPCC chief on Sunday also reviewed preparations for the event.

Meanwhile, in another development, Chavan said the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) will bring a privilege motion against the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena combine in Maharashtra "for ignoring" over 6,000 villages from eastern Vidarbha region which are facing drought.

The privilege motion will be brought tomorrow during the ongoing Budget session of the State Legislature," he said.

Chavan also said the (Nagpur Bench) Bombay High Court had to take cognisance of the drought situation and alleged that the bureaucracy had completely failed to provide relief to the affected areas (by drought).