Congress to launch ‘Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan Abhiyan’
CWC meet passes two key resolutions: one on Mahatma Gandhi and a political resolution on various issues
In a potentially landmark political move, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) currently meeting in Belagavi, Karnataka, has announced the launch of the ‘Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan Abhiyan’, a nationwide campaign aimed at mobilising citizens to protect Constitutional values.
The initiative will begin with a rally in Belagavi tomorrow, 27 December, and culminate in Mhow — birthplace of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar — in Madhya Pradesh on 26 January 2025, with a series of rallies and marches across blocks, districts, and states.
The CWC, the apex decision-making body of the Congress, also declared that from 26 January 2025 to 26 January 2026, the party will conduct a ‘Samvidhan Bachao Rashtriya Padayatra’, a year-long relay march traversing villages and towns nationwide to highlight issues of Constitutional erosion and institutional degradation.
This massive outreach effort will be capped with an All India Congress Committee (AICC) session scheduled for Gujarat in April 2025.
The meeting in Belagavi holds special significance, commemorating as it does the 100th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s presidency of the Indian National Congress at its 39th session in 1924. The Congress emphasised its commitment to the values espoused by Gandhi and Dr Ambedkar, both pivotal figures in shaping India’s Constitution.
The CWC statement also highlighted Mahatma Gandhi’s prophetic address from 19 November 1939, which laid the foundation for the Constituent Assembly and subsequently, the Constitution.
As the nation recently marked the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution, the Congress pledged to uphold its sanctity against what it termed “relentless assaults” by the BJP and RSS.
The party also accused Union home minister Amit Shah of “denigrating Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar in Parliament”, labelling his remarks part of a larger RSS-BJP agenda to undermine the Constitution. The party reiterated its demand for Shah’s resignation and called for a public apology.
“The Constitution’s federal structure and democratic ethos are under siege,” the Congress warned, citing the contentious One Nation, One Election Bill as a direct attack on India’s federalism.
Additionally, the country's principal Opposition party condemned the recent amendment to the Conduct of Election Rules (1961), which restricts public access to critical sections of poll documents, accusing the BJP-led Central government of eroding transparency and accountability in elections.
The CWC also expressed grave concerns over what it described as the “systematic degradation of democratic institutions,” including the judiciary and the Election Commission, and accused the BJP government of weaponising institutions to consolidate power, undermining the independence and credibility of pillars of democracy.
Political observers say by invoking the legacies of Gandhi and Ambedkar and framing the campaign as a fight to protect Constitutional values, the Congress is seeking to galvanise support across diverse social and political groups.