“Nothing Indian about the Constitution, said Savarkar…”: Rahul Gandhi Slams BJP for Admiring Savarkar, Accuses It of Mocking the Constitution While Claiming to Protect It

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the BJP led Union government, accusing it of mocking the Indian Constitution while claiming to uphold and protect it. Gandhi criticized BJP's admiration for Vir Savarkar, describing him as the "supreme leader" of the RSS, while highlighting the contradiction in their support for a figure who, according to Gandhi, had little regard for the Constitution. The Congress MP contrasted the Constitution with the Manusmriti and condemned Savarkar's views. 

"‘The worst thing about the Constitution of India is that there is nothing Indian about it. Manusmriti is that scripture which is most worshippable after Vedas for our Hindu nation and from which our ancient times have become the basis for our culture, customs, thought and practice. This book, for centuries, has codified the spiritual and divine march of our nation. Today, Manusmiriti is law'. These are the words of Savarkar…Savarkar has clearly stated in his writings that there is nothing Indian about our Constitution. He has clearly stated that the book India is run by should be superseded by this book. This is what the fight is about," said the Rahul Gandhi, holding a copy of the Constitution in his right hand and the Manusmriti in his left.

The Raebareli MP then accused BJP of hypocrisy, asking, "When you speak in Parliament about protecting the Constitution, you are ridiculing Savarkar, you are abusing Savarkar, you are defaming Savarkar."

Rahul Gandhi questioned the ruling party's commitment to the Constitution, demanding whether they supported their leader's views. "Do you stand by your leader's words? Do you support your leader's words?" he asked. Gandhi argued that the Constitution of India, despite its modern framework, could not have been created without drawing upon India's ancient ideas, with voices of leaders like Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi, and Jawaharlal Nehru shaping its creation.

In addition, the senior Congress leader also invoked the story of Eklavya from the Mahabharata and took a swipe at BJP for what he described as their assault on the country's most vulnerable. “Just like Dronacharya took Eklavya's thumb, the saffron party has taken the thumbs of farmers, the backward classes, and the youth of the country,” said Gandhi. He further expanded this metaphor, accusing the BJP of harming key sectors of society. “When you hand over Dharavi to Adani, you cut off the thumb of entrepreneurs, small and medium businesses,” Gandhi said. “When you hand over India’s ports, airports, and defence industry to Adani, you cut off the thumbs of all fair-play businesses in India who work honestly."

The Congress MP continued his criticism; specifically targeting the BJP led Union government’s policies. He said that the implementation of the Agniveer scheme and the repeated paper leaks had "cut off the thumb of the youth." He also highlighted the government's handling of farmer protests, stating, "Today, you lobbed tear gas shells on farmers outside Delhi, you unleashed lathi charges on the farmers. Farmers demand MSP from you. They demand a suitable price, but you facilitate profits to Adani and Ambani and cut off the thumb of farmers."

“We say Abhayamudra, we say ‘daro matt’ (don’t be afraid). You say, ‘Hum aapka angootha kaat denge’ (we will cut off your thumb). This is the difference,” Gandhi said, contrasting the approach of the opposition with that of the ruling government.