Congress accuses BJP-RSS of undermining constitution
The Congress on Wednesday accused the RSS-BJP of attacking and undermining the Constitution and said that it is being taken forward by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, “who have been subverting constitutional principles in a calculated manner”.
The Opposition party said it was marking Constitution Day as Samvidhan Bachao Divas across the country.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the ruling dispensation of damaging institutions and disrespecting the Constitution, claiming their current reverence for it is a mere pretence and sham as they never made any contribution in its making.
He also claimed that the BJP is showing reverence for the Constitution out of political expediency.
He stressed the need to protect the fundamental principles of the Constitution such as justice, equality, freedom, mutual brotherhood, secularism, and socialism, adding that these hallmarks of India are in danger today under the BJP rule.
Asserting that the Constitution is the protective shield of the poor, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urged people to pledge that “we will not allow any attack” on the Constitution and said he will be the first to stand up against any assault on it.
“The Constitution of India is not just a book; it is a sacred promise made to every citizen of the country. A promise that no matter what religion or caste one belongs to, what region one comes from, what language one speaks, whether poor or rich, one will receive equality, respect, and justice,” Gandhi said in a social media post in Hindi.
The Constitution is the protective shield of the poor and the deprived, their strength, and the voice of every citizen, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said.
In a post in Hindi, Kharge said, “Today, Mr. Modi lectures us on the dangers of colonisation, but these very people belong to the same ideology who, during the freedom struggle and the national movement, never stood with the people of this country for even a minute, but instead they served British subjugation.”
“The people of the country now know who is damaging our institutions. These BJP-RSS folks are busy disrespecting the Constitution. That is why their current reverence for the Constitution is a mere pretense, a sham,” he charged.
Kharge alleged that it is they who burnt copies of the Constitution and now they go and offer flowers at Babasaheb’s statue, saying, “this is the greatest victory for India’s Constitution and our forebears”. He said Ambedkar and Jawaharlal Nehru, in collaboration with the Constituent Assembly, not only crafted the Constitution but also built an India where democracy reigns supreme.
He said when the Constitution was enacted, organisations like the RSS openly declared that it was based on “Western values” and that their ideal was the “Manusmriti” and history bears witness that they opposed the Constitution.
“Today, the irony is that those who once held the Manusmriti in higher regard than the Constitution are now, after coming to power, compelled by necessity and political expediency to claim it as their own,” he said.
Kharge also claimed that on December 11, 1948, they held a massive rally at Ramlila Maidan and even burnt an effigy of Dr. Ambedkar.
