Modiji feels Constitution I carry is blank because he never read it: Rahul Gandhi
Modiji feels Constitution I carry is blank because he never read it: Rahul Gandhi
M.U.H
14/11/202416
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a fierce rebuttal against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, accusing the BJP of disrespecting the Constitution and India’s national icons. Rahul Gandhi addressed recent remarks made by PM Modi, who claimed that the "red book" labelled as the Constitution, which the Congress leader has been showcasing, contains blank pages. Rahul Gandhi countered by asserting that PM Modi feels the book is “blank” simply because he has never read it.
"The Constitution contains the soul of India and the principles envisaged by national icons like Birsa Munda, Dr BR Ambedkar, and Mahatma Gandhi," Rahul Gandhi said at a rally in Maharashtra's Nandurbar.
The colour of the Constitution copy that Rahul Gandhi carried—a red cover—also drew criticism from BJP leaders, with Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis suggesting it signified support for "urban Naxals and anarchists."
Addressing this, Gandhi said, “The BJP has objections to the red colour of the book. We don't care about whether the colour is red or blue. We are committed to preserve it (Constitution) and ready to lay down our lives too for it.”
“Modi ji feels the Constitution (book) I carry is blank because he has no idea what it contains. He has not read it in his life," Rahul Gandhi said.
He said that the BJP’s opposition insults the principles of India's revered icons. “Modiji, this book is not empty. It has the soul and knowledge of India,” Rahul Gandhi said.
In his address, Rahul Gandhi advocated for the inclusion of adivasis, Dalits, and backward classes in decision-making. He spoke about the limited representation of tribals in government, stating, “Out of the 90 officers running the government, only one is from the adivasi community."
He criticised the BJP’s terminology of referring to adivasis as "vanvasi" (forest dwellers), alleging it reflects a desire to restrict them to jungles without basic rights.
“Adivasis are the first owners of the country and have the first right on jal (water), jungle (forest), and zameen (land),” he said.
ROW OVER ‘BLANK’ CONSTITUTION
The war of words unfolds as Maharashtra approaches assembly elections on November 20, with the BJP using the blank-book controversy to question Gandhi’s stance on the Constitution and reservation. The BJP’s social media showcased blank-page books labeled “Constitution of India,” which they alleged were distributed by Congress at a recent Nagpur event.
Maharashtra BJP tweeted, “Congress wants to erase the Constitution of India like this.”
Congress leaders swiftly denied the accusation, asserting that blank notebooks, not copies of the Constitution, were distributed to attendees.
The Congress, in its response to the BJP’s accusations, said, “The whole of India knows that BJP and RSS are the enemies of the real Constitution.”
Meanwhile, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge condemned PM Modi’s remarks about the “blank” Constitution. Kharge pointed out that PM Modi himself had presented a similar book to former President Ram Nath Kovind in 2017.
With just days left for the Maharashtra polls, the red Constitution copy, carried by Rahul Gandhi to rallies, has emerged a point of controversy, with both the BJP and the Congress trying to position themselves as the Constitution’s true defenders.
