BJP-RSS working round the clock to finish the Constitution: Rahul Gandhi

Speaking at a campaign rally in Gondia in support of candidates fielded by the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) for the upcoming assembly poll

Mumbai: Leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), saying that they were working round-the-clock to finish off the Constitution. Speaking at a campaign rally in Gondia in support of candidates fielded by the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) for the upcoming assembly poll, he also accused the BJP-led union government of working against the interests of farmers and asked why the government had failed to provide them fair prices for their produce.

Leader of Opposition in LoK Sabha Rahul Gandhi (ANI)

“I can say with guarantee that prime minister Narendra Modi has not read the Constitution. Otherwise, he would have respected what is written in it,” Gandhi told the gathering in Gondia. The Constitution does not talk about killing people or oppressing the poor and farmers, he said, adding, “The BJP and RSS continuously attack and attempt to dismantle the Constitution given by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar while the Congress fights to protect it.”

Referring to the three controversial farm laws enacted in 2020 which spurred massive protests from farmers across the country for over a year leading to their rollback, Gandhi said, “Prime minister Narendra Modi claims that the farm laws were introduced in the interest of farmers. But if these laws were truly beneficial, why did farmers take to the streets in protest?” BJP-led state governments had failed to provide fair prices to paddy, soybean, and cotton farmers, he added.

The Congress leader also attacked the union government over loan waivers extended to powerful corporates. “Why didn’t Narendra Modi, who waived off loans worth ₹16 lakh crore for industrialists, waive off even a single farmer’s loan,” Gandhi asked. The MVA’s poll manifesto has promised a loan waiver for up to ₹3 lakh for farmers in the state.

Gandhi also invoked examples from Congress-ruled states, saying the party had kept its promises made to the people, be it giving ₹3,000 per quintal to paddy farmers in Chhattisgarh or providing free bus travel to women in Karnataka.

“If the MVA comes to power in Maharashtra, women will get ₹3,000 in their bank accounts every month, farmers will get fair prices for soybean, cotton, and paddy, everyone will get health insurance worth ₹25 lakh and unemployed youth will get a monthly allowance of ₹4,000,” he said.

Gandhi further said that while Modi claims to belong to Other Backward Classes (OBC), he continually disrespects the community. OBCs comprise nearly 50% of the population, yet only 5% of the budget is allocated to them, he said, adding, “This is why the Congress insists on a caste-based census and aims to remove the 50% reservation limit.”

The leader of opposition was scheduled to address a second rally in Buldhana’s Chikhli on Wednesday, but it was called off as his aircraft developed a technical snag.