Rahul Gandhi says “Won’t let BJP-RSS touch the Constitution”

Congress President Rahul Gandhi launched a blistering attack on the BJP and RSS from Talkatora stadium in Delhi on Monday, while launching the Congress party’s year-long ‘Save the Constitution’ campaign, which will continue till April 14, 2019—the birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar, Father of the Indian Constitution.

The campaign is being seen as the Congress party’s effort to reach out to the Dalit community ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Dalits revere Babasaheb Ambedkar and have reacted in anger to any suggestions to change the Constitution, for instance when BJP MP Anantkumar Hegde on December 24, 2017 declared that the BJP had come to power to "change the Constitution,” which it would do in the “near future”. Hegde later apologised for his comments.

Gandhi said that the Congress party will not allow BJP-RSS to destroy the Constitution. “No matter how much efforts the BJP puts in, we will not allow them to distort our institution. We will not allow them to touch this constitution. This country belongs to every single of us. It belongs to the weaker sections. It belongs to the women, to Dalits, to Adivasi, it belongs to the small business people. It is our duty as Congress party to protect the Constitution, and to protect every single one of our people,” said Rahul.

Addressing senior leaders of the Congress party, party workers and OBC/ Dalit representatives, Rahul held Modi accountable responsible for increased attacks on Dalits. “Modi justifies manual scavenging by calling it a spiritual experience for the Valmiki community. This speaks volumes about his anti-Dalit mindset,” said Rahul, adding that Modi Government is destroying institutions by appointing RSS ideologues to important positions.

The campaign was attended by senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, PL Punia, Sheila Dixit, Mallikarjun Kharge and Sushil Kumar Shinde among others.

According to a rough estimate, Dalits form 17% of the country’s total electorate. In Parliament, 84 Lok Sabha seats reserved for candidates belonging to the scheduled castes. The BJP had bagged nearly half of these in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, which showed in its lion’s share of seats in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

No wonder within hours of Rahul launching the campaign, BJP President Amit Shah termed it a “farce” and said that the campaign “seeks to perpetuate the rule of dynasty over the rule of democracy.”