Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], July 11 : Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday lambasted the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the centre, accusing it of "dividing" people during the 'Samvidhan Bachao' rally and urged the youth to "wake up" and protect the Constitution to save themselves.
"I urge the youth to wake up, rise and protect the Constitution. Only then will you be safe. BJP is dividing society and religion. They want to divide us," Kharge said while addressing the gathering at the Samvidhan Bachao rally here.
He further criticised the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the BJP for making statements against the "poor" in the country and the Indian Constitution. The Congress chief argued that the ruling party doesn't even follow the writings of its own Constitution.
"Recently, I heard that the BJP wants to remove the words 'secular' and 'socialist' from the Constitution, even when their party's Constitution mentions it. In 1980, they wrote their Constitution and said that they would follow everything that is written in the Indian Constitution. But do they do it? Everywhere, RSS and BJP make statements against the poor and the Constitution," Kharge said.
The remarks made by RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale last month, demanding that the inclusion of the words 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution be reconsidered, sparked massive outrage in the political sphere, with opposition parties and leaders registering their objections.
On June 26, addressing a program on the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, RSS General Secretary Hosabale said that during the Emergency, terms like "Socialism" and "Secularism" were forcibly inserted into the Constitution, a move that needs to be reconsidered today.
He emphasised that the Emergency wasn't just a misuse of power, but an attempt to crush civil liberties. Millions were imprisoned, and freedom of the press was suppressed. He said that those who imposed the Emergency and trampled the Constitution and democracy have never apologised. If they cannot apologise personally, they should do so on behalf of their ancestors.
Hosabale was speaking at an event held at Dr Ambedkar International Centre, jointly organised by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (under the Ministry of Culture) and Ambedkar International Centre.