Rahul Gandhi Decries Threats to Democracy, Constitution, and Quota System at Rally

BJP and RSS aim to alter the Constitution, which safeguards the poor, according to Rahul Gandhi. He asserts that the Constitution is not a mere book but a document that protects the rights of the disadvantaged. Gandhi claims that the BJP's ideology favors the wealthy at the expense of the poor and that they seek to eradicate reservations and privatize state-owned businesses. In contrast, the Congress vows to uphold the Constitution, implement the Mahalakshmi Yojna for the poor, and combat unemployment through apprenticeship programs. Gandhi criticizes media bias for prioritizing billionaires over issues affecting the general public. He promises to waive farm loans and guarantee minimum support prices if elected.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ideological mentor RSS want to subvert and change the Constitution, which gives rights to the poor and protects their future, but people are fully aware of their designs, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Monday.

Addressing a campaign rally at Sakri village in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur district in support of Congress' Bilaspur Lok Sabha candidate Devendra Yadav, Gandhi said let alone Prime Minister Narendra Modi, no power in the world can reject or tear apart the country's Constitution.

''The PM, BJP leaders and RSS want to subvert and change the Constitution. While they are trying to destroy the Constitution, the Congress is trying to protect it. This Lok Sabha poll is not an ordinary poll. It is about saving democracy, the Constitution, reservations and rights of the poor,'' he noted.

The Constitution is not merely a book but a revered document that protects the rights of the poor, their future as well as their voices and way of living, the Congress leader asserted.

''BJP leaders have been saying they will scrap the Constitution and end reservation after they come back to power. If reservations, which are promised by the Constitution, are snatched, then jal-jungle-zameen (water-forests and land) of tribal brothers will disappear,'' he claimed.

The BJP's ideology is not that of stalwarts like Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Nehru and Babasaheb Ambedkar, but it is about supporting select people like ''Adani and Ambani'', the Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad alleged.

''They (BJP) say they are not against reservation. Reservation means backwards, Dalits and tribals should get share in the country. When they privatize a public sector unit, they end reservation. When they implement a contractual system, they end reservation. When they introduce a scheme like Agniveer (Agnipath scheme of short-term recruitment in armed forces) they end reservation,'' he alleged.

The Congress's star campaigner asked BJP leaders to explicitly say that privatization was not on their agenda.

''I challenge BJP leaders to say that they will not privatize PSUs or that they will go ahead and waive loans of farmers,'' he said.

The Congress MP maintained people have realized that democracy and the Constitution face attack under the BJP rule.

''In this Lok Sabha poll, people have realised democracy, the Constitution, reservations and PSUs are under attack. They have understood that BJP, the PM and RSS want to subvert the Constitution, without which nothing will be left for the poor,'' he said, waving a copy of the statute book.

Gandhi said the Congress will remove the Supreme Court-mandated 50 per cent ceiling on reservation in jobs and education if it comes to power.

Taking a swipe at the BJP after two phases of the Lok Sabha polls, the Congress leader said the PM was earlier repeatedly speaking about ''400 paar'' (saffron party-led NDA getting 400-plus seats) but ''is he saying it now?'' Now, they are giving statements that they are not against the Constitution, reservation, or democracy, because they have realized the people of the country have understood their intention, he said.

''Dalits, tribals, backwards, the poor from general castes and minority people, we all together, are going to protect this Constitution. No one can end it, no one can change it. Leave alone Modi ji, there is no power in the world that can reject it, tear it and throw it away,'' Gandhi asserted.

The Congress leader claimed just 1 per cent of the population controls 40 per cent of the country's wealth and accused Modi of siding with such rich people.

''They gave Rs 16 lakh crore to 22 people, which means they handed over money worth 24 years of MNREGA (wages) to 22 people. Just 22 people own wealth equal to that of 70 crore Indians. One per cent people of India control 40 per cent of its wealth, this is the gift of Narendra Modi ji,'' he said.

Gandhi said if the Congress and its INDIA bloc allies were voted to power at the Centre, they will create a list of poor families in the country and transfer Rs 1 lakh annually into bank account of one woman of each such family under the 'Mahalakshmi Yojna'.

''It will be a revolutionary scheme which no country in this world has ever attempted,'' he said.

The Congress MP noted unemployment rate in the country was at a 45-year high and resolved to tackle the key issue if voted to power.

''We will give the right to apprenticeship to youth if voted to power. All educated youth will get one year apprenticeship in government or private companies and Rs 1 lakh annual stipend. The scheme will provide a trained workforce and break the wall of unemployment created by Modi ji,'' he said.

''When we talk about Mahalakshmi and apprenticeship schemes, the media does not highlight them. Have you ever seen any news anchor speaking about price rise or farmer issues ? They never talk about backwards, Dalits or the poor among general castes. They talk only about billionaires,'' Gandhi remarked.

If voted to power, the Congress and INDIA bloc will waive agriculture loans and give a legal guarantee of minimum support price on farm produce, he assured the gathering.

Polls will be held in Bilaspur and 6 other Lok Sabha seats of Chhattisgarh in the third phase on May 7.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)