By IANS,
New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi will address a day-long conference of lawyers and human rights activists associated with the party here on March 27 to revitalize the party’s links with the legal fraternity.
Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who heads the party’s legal and human rights department, said that the conference will be inaugurated by the prime minister and presided over by the Congress chief.
The conference will deliberate on ways to foster links between the party and lawyers. It will also discuss reforms in the legal system to provide better justice to the common man and the issue of law and human rights in the context of terrorism.
“Lawyers are opinion-makers and the party is keen on connecting with them in a better way,” Singhvi said, adding it was after 22 years that such a conference to strengthen the party’s links with lawyers is being held.
Singhvi noted that lawyers such as Motilal Nehru, Gopal Krishna Gokhale and Mahatma Gandhi were the Congress’ leaders during the freedom movement. “The Congress is the natural party of choice for lawyers,” he said.
More than 1,200 lawyers and human rights activists from various parts of the country are expected to attend the conference. A few party chief ministers are likely to address the meet.