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Kharge slams BJP on Republic Day for attacks on the adoption of the Constitution

ByDheer Chawla
Jan 26, 2025 01:55 PM IST

Congress president Kharge, speaking on Constitution adoption, urged citizens to defend its core principles of justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity

New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, in his 76th Republic Day address on Sunday, accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of “attacks on our Constitution,” unleashing the “degradation of our institutions,” and dividing Indian society with a “vicious, hateful agenda.”

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge pays tribute to the architects of the Constitution on the 76th Republic Day (PTI)
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge pays tribute to the architects of the Constitution on the 76th Republic Day (PTI)

Speaking on the adoption of the Indian Constitution, Kharge highlighted challenges faced by the nation and urged citizens to defend its core principles of “justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity.” “Every sacred tenet of the Constitution is being shredded into pieces by an authoritarian regime,” he said.

Kharge further attacked the BJP, stating that there has been a “systematic degradation of institutions under the current regime.”

He said that the ruling party has “unleashed a continuous degradation of our institutions, built carefully over decades. Political interference in autonomous institutions has become a norm. Federalism is being trampled on a daily basis, and the rights of Opposition-governed states are being curtailed.”

He also expressed concerns about the functioning of Parliament, stating that there has been “tremendous backsliding” due to the “tyrannical tendency of the ruling government.”

Kharge highlighted “alarming trends” in media and academia, accusing the BJP of “suppressing dissent and turning the media into a mouthpiece for propaganda.” He also alleged a rise in targeted attacks against opposition leaders and whistleblowers, stating, “Strangling dissent by witch-hunting opposition leaders has become the only policy of those in power.”

“In the past decade, a vicious, hateful agenda immersed in religious fundamentalism has sought to divide our society. Minorities are being targeted, and those who are secular are being tarnished by Goebbelsian propaganda,” Kharge said.

He painted a bleak picture of the plight of vulnerable communities, stating that the “weaker sections—SCs, STs, OBCs, poor, and minorities—are being treated as second-class citizens. Atrocities and unheard-of violence against them have become a regular occurrence.”

Referring to ongoing violence in Manipur, Kharge condemned the lack of accountability, saying, “Manipur has been burning for 21 months, but there is no accountability at the topmost echelons of power.”

Kharge also accused the government of perpetuating inequality and serving “crony billionaires” at the expense of ordinary citizens. He said, “Taxes have guzzled every single paisa of hard-earned money from the poor and middle classes. The living standards of our populace have hardly increased because flawed economic policies have perished their savings.”

Kharge further criticised the government’s alleged inability to create employment opportunities for disadvantaged youth, remarking, “The ruling party practices pseudo-nationalism, for they make our disadvantaged youth carry the flag of ‘nationalism’ and ‘religious supremacy’ but do nothing to get them employment.”

Paying homage to the nation-builders and defenders of the Republic, Kharge saluted the soldiers and extended his gratitude to scientists and teachers for transforming India into a knowledge and technical powerhouse.

“We are indebted to our Annadata – our hardworking farmers who have put food on our table… crores of daily wage workers, labourers, and gig workers are the hands building India – brick by brick,” he said.

“We bow in reverence to Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Maulana Azad, Sarojini Naidu, and many others who tirelessly contributed to the shaping of our great Republic,” he added, paying tribute to the architects of the Constitution.

He emphasised its role as the “conscience keeper and soul of the Indian Republic” and praised the members of the constituent assembly for creating a document that represents the will of a diverse nation.

He concluded with a call to action: “It is high time we preserve and protect the ideas and ideals of our Constitution – justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity… Be ready to make every sacrifice to protect the Constitution. This will be the true tribute to our ancestors.”

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