Rahul Gandhi to attend Samvidhan Sammelan in Lucknow

Story by ANI | Posted by Vidushi Gaur | Date 13-03-2026

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi

Lucknow

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi will attend a ‘Samvidhan Sammelan’ in Lucknow on Friday to mark the birth anniversary of Kanshi Ram, the founder of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

Speaking to ANI, Congress MP Tanuj Punia said Gandhi was following the path laid down by Kanshi Ram in advocating justice for marginalised communities.

“Kanshi Ram was a big leader of Dalits. He took Babasaheb’s mission forward and worked to ensure justice for Dalits and people from backward communities. Rahul Gandhi is also walking on that path. Rahul Gandhi always talks about those whose concerns are not usually heard,” Punia said.

He added that Gandhi’s visit to Lucknow to mark Kanshi Ram’s birth anniversary would send a message that the BSP founder belonged to the broader Bahujan community rather than a single political party.

Kanshi Ram, born on March 15, 1934, emerged as a prominent voice for caste equality and mobilised the Bahujan Samaj—comprising Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and minority communities—particularly in Uttar Pradesh. He passed away on October 9, 2006.

Both the BSP and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are also expected to organise events to commemorate Kanshi Ram’s birth anniversary.

On Kanshi Ram’s death anniversary last year, BSP chief Mayawati had criticised the Samajwadi Party while expressing gratitude to the BJP-led government in Uttar Pradesh for maintaining transparency in managing funds collected from the Kanshi Ram Memorial.

She had said the current government did not suppress the revenue generated from visitors, unlike the previous Samajwadi Party government.

Mayawati had also criticised the Samajwadi Party and the Indian National Congress over what she described as their “casteist and malicious” attitude towards Kanshi Ram.

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also paid tribute to Kanshi Ram on his death anniversary last year and called for strengthening marginalised communities to bring the INDIA bloc to power in Uttar Pradesh.