‘Constitution under ‘attack’ from BJP-RSS combine’

Patna: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that the Constitution was under “attack” from the BJP-RSS combine, which was trying to hoodwink people by a show of deference towards Dalit icons like B R Ambedkar.

The statement from the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha came at a function in the Bihar capital, organised on the birth anniversary of Dalit freedom fighter and Congress activist Jaglal Choudhary.

“Today, Delhi Assembly polls are underway. But, I believed this function was equally important. So I flew down after casting my vote,” said the 54-year-old leader.

In a speech that lasted close to 30 minutes, Gandhi spoke extensively of the need to ensure better “bhagidaari” (participation) of Dalits, tribals and OBCs in all walks of life, asserting that mere political representation was not enough.

“I want to see the day when Dalits, tribals and backwards become leaders, not just footsoldiers, in bureaucracy and the private sector,” said the former Congress president.

Waving a pocket-size edition of the Constitution, he alleged, “As long as this is in force, Dalits and other deprived sections of the society can hope for a better life. The BJP-RSS knows this, so they attack the Constitution, but not overtly.”

“You can see Prime Minister Narendra Modi bowing before the Constitution and the statue of Ambedkar. Today, many RSS leaders can also be seen singing paeans to Ambedkar. They do so while working against the very ideals that Ambedkar espoused,” claimed Gandhi. “Modi says representation is being given to deprived classes and cites the number of tickets they get in elections. But, he has snatched away all powers from MLAs and MPs. Even his ministers function with an OSD appointed on recommendation of the RSS breathing down their necks,” alleged the Congress leader.

Gandhi also asserted that the number of Dalits is negligible in the media, a reason why their issues do not get highlighted. In educational institutions, Dalits have still not reached the stage where “we can see them setting the question papers”, he said.

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said PM Narendra Modi did not mention Make in India in his speech in the House and asserted he must acknowledge that the initiative was a failure. The Congress leader said no govt in recent times -- the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) or the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) -- had been able to meet at scale the national challenge of providing jobs.

“Prime minister, in your speech, you didn’t even mention ‘Make in India’! The prime minister should acknowledge that ‘Make in India’, although a good initiative, is a failure. Manufacturing has fallen from 15.3 per cent of GDP in 2014 to 12.6 per cent -- the lowest in the last 60 years,” Gandhi said in a post on X.