Priyanka Gandhi: Lok Sabha results forced BJP to chant 'Constitution'

New Delhi: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was unmoved over the incidents of violence in Harthas, Sambhal and Manipur and had not understood that the Constitution was not the Sangh's rule book.

Participating in a debate on the Constitution in the Lok Sabha, Priyanka Gandhi in her 30 minute speech said the Constitution is a protective shield of justice, unity and freedom of expression but the BJP-led government has made every effort to break it in the past 10 years.

Quoting a few examples where people had fought against all adversities just because they believed in the strength of the Constitution, she referred to the Unnao rape victim, who struggled against all odds for justice and, in the process, was burnt alive to death. She disclosed how her father was firm in seeking justice for his daughter just because he had faith in the Constitution.

Bharat ka samvidhan

"The prime minister touches his forehead to the Constitution but when there are cries for justice from Sambhal, Hathras and Manipur, there is not a wrinkle on his forehead," the newly elected Wayanad MP said in her maiden speech in Parliament. "It seems that Prime Minister Modi hasn't understood that it is 'Bharat ka Samvidhan' not 'Sangh ka Vidhan'," Priyanka Gandhi said. The government, she said, is working to weaken the reservation policy through lateral entry and privatisation.

Lok Sabha results

"Had the Lok Sabha election results not come as they have, the government would have started work on changing the Constitution," Priyanka Gandhi said. "The truth is that they are chanting 'Constitution' because they realise the people of this country will keep the Constitution alive."

Caste based census

According to her, people were demanding a caste-based census and even the ruling party was talking about it because of the election results. "When the entire opposition called for a caste-based census, they talked about cattle and 'mangalsutra' getting stolen," the Congress MP said in an apparent reference to the Lok Sabha election campaign.

Divisive politics

Priyanka Gandhi said the Constitution has given the message of unity to the nation, and accused the BJP-led government of pursuing divisive politics. She said the people were demanding a caste-based census and even the ruling party was talking about it because of the election results.

Referring to the first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s contribution in building this country and the unjustified criticism of him by the BJP, Ms. Vadra asserted, “His name can be removed from books and speeches, but his legacy and contribution in building the country can never be wiped out.”

She told the treasury benches that they were fond of talking about the past and what Pandit Nehru did or did not do. “Talk about the present. Tell the nation, what are you doing? What is your responsibility? Is everything the responsibility of Nehru?” she taunted them.

"When the entire opposition called for a caste-based census, they talked about cattle and 'mangalsutra' getting stolen," the Congress MP said in an apparent reference to the Lok Sabha election campaign. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won 293 seats in the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year. The BJP won 240 seats on its own against the halfway mark of 272.

Country cannot be run by fear

Alleging that the government had unleashed an atmosphere of fear, Ms. Vadra pointed out how criticism was not tolerated and how people were slapped with false cases and agencies like the ED, the CBI, and Income Tax were unleashed on political opponents, journalists, students, and others.

Asserting that this country cannot be run by fear, she said it can be run only with courage and hope. “This country has never stayed with cowards for long, and this country will rise, fight, and seek justice,” she said, while concluding her speech amidst thumping of desks from opposition benches.

Rahul Gandhi says better than mine

Congress leader and brother of Priyanka Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi told reporters, "Wonderful speech.... Better than my maiden speech, let us put it like that." Rahul Gandhi became an MP for the first time in 2004.

Senior leader Shashi Tharoor hails her speech

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor hailed Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's maiden speech in Parliament, saying she did not speak like a first-time MP and rightly pointed out to the government that it should talk about current times rather than harping on the past.

Asked about her speech, Tharoor told reporters, "I think it was an excellent maiden speech. She did not speak like a first-time parliamentarian who, as she said, has had only 15 days in Parliament. She spoke with tremendous maturity, tremendous grace, tremendous intelligence. I was very impressed."

"The difficulty in speaking for the first time is whether you should show passion or shout or whether you come across in a sensible, dignified and rational way. I think she was right to choose the latter," the former Union minister said.

Tharoor said that since Union minister Rajnath Singh had made a very strong speech attacking the history of the Congress, Gandhi very rightly pointed out that "when will you talk about today, why should you talk about yesterday".

"It was very effective and she made all the points, all the key issues that we have seen and trouble us in the country that the way in which the Constitution has been working. She has done a wonderful job," he said.

Inputs from PTI