Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], January 27 (ANI): Prominent Congress leaders from across the nation gathered here in Mhow and participated in the ‘Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan’ rally at the birthplace of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar.
Speaking at the rally, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), claiming that both are against the Constitution. During his speech, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also dubbed RSS and BJP “anti-national.”
Gandhi also underlined that the Indian Constitution is not just a book but embodies thousands of years of Indian thought.
“A battle of ideology is going on in India. On one hand, the Congress party believes in the Constitution and is fighting for it. On the other end, RSS and BJP who are against the Indian Constitution, the constitution of BR Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi, weaken it and they want to end it. The Indian Constitution is not just a book but thousands of years old thinking of India. There is a voice and thinking of great personalities of India in this constitution,” the Congress leader said.
The LoP also took a jibe at RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, alleging that Bhagwat did not believe in India’s freedom on August 15, 1947, and considers that real freedom was achieved only after Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power.
“A few days ago RSS leader Mohan Bhagwat said that India did not get freedom on August 15, 1947, it was a fake freedom. Real freedom was achieved after Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power. This is a direct attack on the Constitution. They (BJP) tried to repeal the Constitution before the Lok Sabha election in 2024. They had said if they won 400 seats then they would abolish the Constitution and change it… Remember one thing, the day the constitution is abolished, there will be nothing left in this country for the poor, Dalits, Adivasis, and OBCs. This is their goal,” he added.
“They give all the contracts to two or three billionaires. All the wealth of India is being served to people like Adani and Ambani. Where is it written in the Constitution that the wealth of India should be handed over to Adani?… It is written in the Constitution that all citizens of India are equal and every Indian should have a chance to dream of creating a future. Today India has had the highest unemployment rate for 50 years. Billionaire thousands of crores of rupees. They spend it on the marriage of children (referring to Ambani),” Rahul Gandhi said.
He further highlighted that common people, when wanting to marry off their children, have to take loans because they do not have money, and this is due to the lack of employment opportunities.
“Don’t forget that the more Adani and Ambani grow, the more money these billionaires get, and the fewer jobs your children will get. Demonetisation and GST are weapons to eliminate India’s poor population. Common people pay the same amount of GST as Adani, Ambani pays… Narendra Modi waived off Rs 16 lakh crore of billionaires’ loans. But were the debts of farmers, labourers, and students waived off? You pay GST and Adani and Ambani sell Chinese goods in India. People in China get employment and those jobs are stolen from your children’s hands..,” he further said.
The Congress leader also emphasised that billionaires have destroyed the country’s employment system.
“Who is the owner of the privatisation of the education and health system? The Indian education system is a system of stamps, a system of certification. Crores of people think that after such certifications, after paying lakhs of rupees to the billionaires, their children will get employment. This is a blatant lie. Your children cannot get employment in this country, no matter what they do… The billionaires have destroyed the employment system of the country… If students from IIT or IIM are not getting employment, how will you get it,” he asked.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also participated in the rally and addressed the gathering on the occasion.
During his speech, Mallikarjun Kharge dubbed RSS and BJP “anti-national…”
He also invoked former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and said, “We will not tolerate the exploitation of the poor in the name of religion… Vallabhbhai Patel gave the order to ban RSS, yet they pit Jawaharlal Nehru and Vallabhbhai Patel against each other… Jawaharlal Nehru said that we should destroy that terrible community together which killed the greatest man (Mahatma Gandhi) of our era… “
The remarks of Kharge drew a sharp response from the BJP. Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal told ANI, “He (Mallikarjun Kharge) said this in Mhow where BR Ambedkar was born. I want to ask him – did any of the Congress’ PMs went to Mhow on the birth anniversary (of BR Ambedkar)? PM Narendra Modi is the only prime minister to attend that ceremony in 2016…” (ANI)
