Emphasising that all must adhere to the Constitution and its Preamble, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, Monday said merely pointing fingers at each other won’t help. He slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks on the Constitution (in the Lok Sabha), and allegd that those who haven’t fought for the country can’t grasp its significance.

Speaking during the discussion on the ‘Glorious Journey of 75 Years of the Constitution of India in the House of Elders, Kharge said, “Merely pointing fingers at each other won’t help. The Jan Sangh had once aimed to structure the Constitution based on the laws of Manusmriti. This was the intent of the RSS. Those who despise the tricolour, the Ashoka Chakra, and the Constitution are now lecturing us. On the day the Constitution was implemented, these people burned effigies of Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi, and Jawaharlal Nehru at Ramlila Maidan. They insult the Nehru-Gandhi family without shame,” he said.

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He said in 1949, RSS leaders opposed the Constitution of India because it was not based on Manusmriti. ”… Neither did they accept the Constitution nor the tricolour. On 26 January 2002, for the first time, the tricolour was hoisted at the RSS headquarters under compulsion. Because there was a court order,” he pointed out.

During his a little more-than-an-hour speech, the Congress leader said, ”…Those who did not fight for the country, how will they know the importance of freedom and the Constitution?” He alleged PM Modi was the ‘top liar’ as he failed to deliver on promises and misled India for the past 11 years.

” …The Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) was teaching us and said that we lie but the number one liar is the Prime Minister. It was said that Rs15 lakh will be given but nothing came…these people are misleading the country and deceiving the people by lying…The Prime Minister should have told what he has done in the last 11 years to strengthen the Constitution…”, he said.

Taking a jibe at Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who opened the two-day debate in the Rajya Sabha, Kharge said, “She has studied in Jawaharlal Nehru University(JNU), I don’t know what she studied there but JNU students are very progressive. ..And, here she’s supporting those who question socialism and all..How can someone change their ideology?”

Highlighting her educational background at (JNU), Kharge noted that students from varsity have been integral to the nation’s development, particularly in fields like Economics and Political Science but here” the talk is about eliminating the democratic things”.

”BJP has been giving ‘jumlas’ to befool people of the country and blaming the Congress instead”, Kharge alleged. Further, he said the Prime Minister either lives in the past or in the world of imagination, adding that ”it seems that the present is not in his dictionary”.

He alleged that those who crushed the poor economically are also teaching us lessons on economic strength. ”If works like land reform, nationalisation of banks, MNREGA, Food Security Act and Right to Education had not been done in the country, the condition of the poor would have been very bad,” he stressed.

Kharge also alleged that the Indian Constitution was in danger today. He also said the BJP was against reservation, that is why it was against caste census.

Rajya Sabha LoP Kharge said,”You are insulting everyone in the name of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Sardar Patel was also with him, Ambedkar was also with him… Nehru ji had written a letter to the Chief Ministers, which Modi ji mentioned in his speech to defame Nehru ji by distorting the facts, for which he should apologise to the country. This is my demand…”

Further, he said when many powerful countries did not have universal adult franchise, women did not have the right to vote, at that time India gave universal adult franchise, voting rights to women were given. ”It was given by the Congress, the Constitution…RSS, Jansangh has opposed it,” he pointed out.

”…Our brave leader Indira Gandhi divided Pakistan into two parts and liberated Bangladesh… The pride of this country spread across the world. The chaos that is going on there (in Bangladesh), at least these (BJP) people should open their eyes and try to save the minorities there.”