Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday took potshots at the BJP and its “supreme leader” Savarkar as completely critical of the Constitution.

He said Savarkar had said that there was “nothing Indian about our Constitution.”

Advertisement

The LoP cornered the BJP and said that when it talks about protecting the Constitution of the country, it is “ridiculing Savarkar.”

“The worst thing about the Constitution of India is that there is nothing Indian about it. Manusmriti is that scripture which is most worshippable after Vedas for our Hindu nation and from which our ancient times have become the basis for our culture, customs, thought and practice. This book, for centuries, has codified the spiritual and divine march of our nation. Today, Manusmiriti is law. These are the words of Savarkar,” he said.

“I want to ask you (ruling side), do you stand by your leader’s words? Do you support your leader’s words? Because when you speak in Parliament about protecting the Constitution, you are ridiculing Savarkar, you are abusing Savarkar, you are defaming Savarkar,” he added.

The Rae Bareli MP said when one looks at the Constitution and we open the Constitution we hear the voices and ideas of Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi, and Jawaharlal Nehru.

“But where do these ideas come from? These ideas came from old profound, traditions in this country. Those ideas came from Shiva, Guru Nanak, Buddha, Kabir, and Mahaavir. When we speak of the Constitution and we show the Constitution of course it is the document of modern India. but it could never have been written without ancient India, and its ideas,” he said in the Lok Sabha.

Gandhi also cited the story of Eklavya and said that just like Dronacharya took Eklavya’s thumb, the saffron party has taken the thumbs of farmers, the backward classes and the youth of the country.

“When you handover Dharavi to Adani, you cut off the thumb of entrepreneurs, small and medium businesses. When you handover India’s ports, airports and defence industry to Adani, you cut off the thumbs of all fair play business of India who work honestly,” he said.

“By bringing in lateral entry into government jobs, you are chopping off the thumb of the youth, backward class people, poor. As many as 70 paper leaks took place. By doing this, you chopped off the thumb of the youth,” the Raebareli MP said.

Speaking during a discussion on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India, the LoP also talked about his visit to the family of Hathras gang-rape victim.

“Four years back one girl was gang raped. Three days back I went there and met the family but the person who gang-raped the girl was roaming around freely and the family of victim could not move freely.

It is written in Manusmriti but it is not written in Constitution. INDIA bloc people will do the relocation of that family if you (BJP) will not do that,” he said.

The Lok Sabha, on December 13, initiated a two-day debate on the Constitution to commemorate the beginning of the 75th year of its adoption.

The first session of the winter Parliament commenced on November 25, with both Houses getting adjourned fairly early due to disruptions. The winter session will go on till December 20.

Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju initiated the debate on Constitution on its second day and said India not only provides legal protection to minorities but also has provision for affirmative action.