RSS opposed Constitution, Modi was lying: Kharge on RS Opposition walkout

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday cited historical evidence to argue that it was the BJP and the RSS, not the Congress, which had opposed the Constitution, though Prime Minister Narednra Modi labelled the Congress as "anti-Constitution".

Kharge explained that the Opposition walked out of the Rajya Sabha because they were not permitted to speak during PM Modi's speech.

"INDIA parties walked out of Rajya Sabha because PM Modi was lying. He claims that we are against the Constitution, but the TRUTH is that BJP-RSS, Jan Sangh and their political forefathers had fiercely opposed the Constitution of India. They had burnt the effigies of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru at that time. This is was a shameful thing and an affront to Democratic values," Kharge said in a post on X.

"The Organiser (Nov 30, 1949, page 3), the organ of RSS, gave vent to its ideas regarding Manusmriti: “in our constitution, there is no mention of the unique constitutional developments in ancient Bharat. Manu’s laws were written long before Lycurgus of Sparta or Solon of Persia. To this day laws as enunciated in the Manusmriti excite the admiration of the world and elicit spontaneous obedience and conformity. But to our constitutional pundits (read Ambedkar) that means nothing," Kharge also wrote.

The Congress president quoted Dr B.R. Ambedkar's concluding remarks in the Constituent Assembly on 25 November 1949, during which he said, "The Congress Party is entitled to all the credit for the smooth sailing of the Draft Constitution in the Assembly.”

Opposition MPs from the INDIA bloc staged a walkout on Wednesday during the prime minister's response to the debate on the motion of thanks on the President's address in the Rajya Sabha, claiming that Kharge was not given a chance to speak. In protest, they chanted slogans against the prime minister and exited the House.

Rajya Sabha chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar, going against the norm, criticised the actions of the INDIA bloc MPs, accusing them of challenging and outraging the spirit of the Constitution.

"The opposition members have challenged the Constitution, outraged the spirit of the Constitution, and disregarded the oath they took... Khargeji insulted his oath of office through the walkout. They (opposition MPs) have made a mockery of the Constitution. I hope they introspect," Dhankhar said.

Reacting to the walkout by the INDIA bloc, Modi said, "The country is seeing that those who spread lies do not have the strength to hear the truth. Those who do not dare to face the truth, do not dare to listen to the answers to questions that were raised in these discussions. They are insulting the Upper House, the glorious tradition of the Upper House".

Earlier, speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Modi accused the Congress of being against the Constitution, the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), and of stifling civil liberties during the Emergency.

"Congress has had this tradition — a Dalit is propped up to take the blame for the defeat, and the family escapes. They did the same for the Speaker’s contest. They did the same for Meira Kumar for the Presidential election, and with Sushil Kumar Shinde in a vice-presidential election. Their mindset is anti-SC, ST and OBC,” Modi said.