Jalna: Union minister Raosaheb Danve has said that the Constitution for the ruling BJP is as sacred as the Bhagavad Gita, Bible or Quran, and accused the Congress of creating confusion among voters.
Danve, who is eyeing his sixth parliamentary term from the Jalna Lok Sabha seat in central Maharashtra, was addressing a public meeting in the Rajur area on Saturday.
He is pitted against Kalyan Kale of the Congress.
The Union Minister of State for Railways, Coal and Mines rejected the Congress’ allegation that the BJP is seeking more than 400 seats to change the Constitution.
The grand old party amended the Constitution 80 times when it was in power. The Congress had prevented Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, chief architect of the Constitution, from entering Parliament by defeating him twice, Danve said.
Despite being in power for decades, the Congress didn’t confer Bharat Ratna upon Dr Ambedkar. It was the V P Singh government backed by the BJP that gave the top honour to the Dalit icon, he claimed.
“The BJP considers the Constitution as sacred as the Bhagavad Gita, Bible or Quran,” he said.
Danve also targeted NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar for calling the BJP a communal party.
The Union minister claimed that when he was the BJP state president, Pawar had held talks with his party for an alliance.
“Pawar had formed a coalition government in the state with the Janata Party after breaking ranks with the Congress (U) in July 1978. The same Pawar is now calling BJP a communal party,” he said.
Polling in Jalna, the epicentre of the ongoing Maratha agitation, will be held in the fourth phase on May 13.
Published 28 April 2024, 16:21 IST