Bengaluru, June 19 (IANS) The ruling Congress party in Karnataka celebrated the birthday of Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, with fanfare on Thursday in Bengaluru.

The event was organised at Central College Grounds in Bengaluru to mark the birthday of LoP Rahul Gandhi. The event was organised under the leadership of senior party leader B.V. Srinivas. On the occasion, a portrait of LoP Rahul Gandhi made using 30,000 notebooks was unveiled.

Battery-operated tricycles, wheelchairs, and laptops were also distributed to specially-abled sportspersons.

An eye donation registration camp has also been organised by the Youth Congress under the leadership of Karnataka Youth Congress President H.S. Manjunath. The camp will be held on Thursday at 3 pm at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office on Queen’s Road, Bengaluru.

Participating in the event at the Central College Grounds, Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar stated, “Rahul Gandhi’s message is that every section of society should receive protection and that the Constitution must be safeguarded.”

“May God bless Rahul Gandhi, who is working towards the protection of this nation, with good health and happiness,” said Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar while extending birthday wishes.

“Today, we are celebrating the birthday of our leader, Rahul Gandhi. He has made many sacrifices for the country. This programme has been organised by our party workers under the leadership of B.V. Srinivas, former president of the Indian Youth Congress, to commemorate our tall leader Rahul Gandhi’s commitment to the nation,” Shivakumar stated.

“In view of Rahul Gandhi’s birthday, we had planned a programme on the caste census. However, due to the cabinet meeting, it has been postponed,” Shivakumar added while conveying his wishes.

When asked about Indian students returning from Israel, he said, “Our priority is the safe return of our students. Beyond that, we won’t comment much on matters of international politics.”

In response to a question on whether the caste census would be discussed in today’s cabinet meeting, he said, “We have already discussed this matter in the cabinet. We will further deliberate on its framework.”

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, taking to X, stated, “I take great pride in calling Shri Rahul Gandhi my leader — a man of ideological commitment, compassion for people, unwavering honesty, a clear vision for India’s future, immense courage, and boundless love.”

“Heartfelt birthday wishes to the light of India’s future, Shri Rahul Gandhi,” Siddaramaiah stated.

–IANS

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