New Delhi [India], June 26 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Manoj Tiwari on Thursday slammed Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge over his criticism of the BJP's observance of the 50th anniversary of the Emergency as "Samvidhan Hatya Diwas," saying that the Congress has no moral authority to speak on democracy.
Reacting to Kharge's remarks, Tiwari told reporters, "Yesterday was June 25. How can a Congress that can murder the Constitution believe in democracy? Mallikarjun Kharge is the President of Congress, but listening to his statements, it seems he knows neither about democratic culture nor about the country's culture..."
On Wednesday, Kharge accused the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using the 50th anniversary of the Emergency to divert public attention from issues such as unemployment, inflation, and demonetisation.
"We are facing an undeclared emergency in the country today... The BJP got rattled by our 'Samvidhan Bachao Yatra' and started talking about 50 years of Emergency. Those who could not do much during their tenure, also could not give any answers on issues of unemployment, inflation and demonetisation, are doing this (marking 50 years of imposition of Emergency as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas) to hide their failures and repeated lies," Kharge said at a press conference.
He criticised the Centre for issuing a circular instructing all states to observe June 25 as "Samvidhan Hatya Diwas officially."
"The PM on behalf of the government has taken out a circular directing all states to mark the 50 years of Emergency as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas," Kharge said.
He also questioned the BJP's commitment to the Constitution, accusing the party of having had no role in India's independence movement or the drafting of the Constitution.
"I only want to say that those who are talking about saving the Constitution now are only trying to raise the issue that had ended in the past. Those who did not have any role in the Indian independence movement and the making of the Constitution are talking about it now. They had even burnt images of Gandhi ji, Ambedkar ji and others," he further alleged.