No stone left unturned…: PM Modi slams Congress for repeatedly hurting Constitution after tasting blood

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 14 said that while his government has constantly strived to strengthen the Constitution, the Congress, after tasting blood, has repeatedly undermined it.

In his response to a two-day debate in the Lok Sabha on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution, Modi criticized previous Congress governments for sowing poisonous seeds of division, exacerbating the country's contradictions and undermining its unity.

Since assuming office in 2014, his government's policies and decisions have been designed to promote the unity and strength of India, in line with the vision of the Constitution, Modi said in his speech in the Lok Sabha.

Targeting the Nehru-Gandhi family, he accused him of doing everything in his power to harm the Constitution, citing his continued challenges to the integrity of the documents. Modi stressed that he was specifically targeting the family because of its prolonged rule, with its members in power for 55 years.

He said the Congress, having tasted blood, was continuously attacking the Constitution, while referring to key decisions taken by Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi during their tenures as prime ministers. Modi also took his criticism to the next generation on the Congress family, referring to Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Modi stressed that leaders like him could only reach their positions because of the Constitution. He recalled his own commitment to its values, citing a symbolic gesture during his tenure as Gujarat chief minister when he celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Constitution by placing a copy on an elephant and walking barefoot under it .

Turning to historical grievances, Modi accused Nehru of amending the Constitution to restrict freedom of expression, while Indira Gandhi imposed a state of emergency in defiance of a Supreme Court ruling that overturned his election as a deputy. Modi has described her actions as an attempt to protect her political position, even going so far as to amend the Constitution to protect the president, vice president and herself from legal challenges. He described this period as a time when democracy was stifled and the judiciary silenced.

Without naming Rahul Gandhi, the Prime Minister criticized an arrogant individual who tore up a Cabinet decision during the tenure of the Manmohan Singh-led Congress-led UPA government. He also stressed that the National Advisory Council, headed by Sonia Gandhi, took precedence over the Cabinet.

Modi accused the Congress of seeking to divide the country for electoral purposes, noting that despite the Constitution's decision to reject reservations based on religion to preserve unity, the Congress pushed for such measures to appease its bank of votes, thus violating the constitutional spirit. In contrast, the Modis government repealed Article 370 to unify Jammu and Kashmir and introduced the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to establish a “one nation, one” tax system.

Reflecting on India's journey since the adoption of the Constitution, Modi called it extraordinary, emphasizing that the country's ancient democratic traditions had been a global inspiration. He said that India is not only the world's largest democracy but also the mother of democracy.

Modi reiterated India's determination to become a developed nation by 2047, emphasizing that national unity is the key to achieving this goal. Our Constitution is the foundation of our unity, he said.

Praising the framers of the Constitution, Modi highlighted their understanding that India was not born in 1947 but has long-standing democratic roots. He welcomed the inclusion of women's suffrage and highlighted India's current trajectory in women-led development. The unanimous passage of the law reserving seats for women in Parliament and state assemblies was another achievement which he lauded.

(With inputs from PTI)