Congress meets on Bapu's 150th anniversary, minus Rahul

 Interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi is holding a mega meeting of her party on Thursday to discuss plans for the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

The meeting is being attended by all the top leaders of the party, including the Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states. But, former party chief Rahul Gandhi and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath are not attending the meeting.

The meeting of Congress General Secretaries, state in-charges, state unit chiefs and senior party leaders will discuss the party's week-long programme on the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Some of the top leaders attending the meeting include former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Ahmed Patel, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Jyotiraditya Scindia, A.K. Antony, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Puducherry Chief Minister Narayansami, and Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot.

According to the party leaders, there will be detailed discussions on the party's week-long programme on the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi to take his message of non-violence and thoughts across the country.

The party has planned 'padyatras' across the country on October 2.

A party leader said that a discussion on economic slowdown will also be held. He said the party will also chart out a country-wide plan on the economic slowdown.

This is the first major meeting headed by Sonia Gandhi after she was appointed as interim President on August 10.IANS