PM Modi, Amit Shah 'subverting Constitutional principles in calculated manner': Congress

New Delhi: Taking a swipe at the RSS-BJP on Constitution Day, the Congress on Wednesday alleged that the Sangh's role was to attack and undermine it, and that role had been taken forward by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah "who have been subverting constitutional principles in a calculated manner".

Asserting that the Constitution is the protective shield of the poor, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urged people to pledge that "we will not allow any attack" on the Constitution and said he will be the first to stand up against any assault on it.

On Constitution Day, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge stressed the need to protect the fundamental principles of the Constitution such as justice, equality, freedom, mutual brotherhood, secularism, and socialism.

He also pledged to uphold the freedom of democracy and the Constitution for the unity and integrity of the country, for love and brotherhood, and for harmony.

In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said, "The Constitution of India is not just a book; it is a sacred promise made to every citizen of the country. A promise that no matter what religion or caste one belongs to, what region one comes from, what language one speaks, whether poor or rich, one will receive equality, respect, and justice."

The Constitution is the protective shield of the poor and the deprived, their strength, and the voice of every citizen, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said.

As long as the Constitution is protected, the rights of every Indian are protected, Gandhi asserted.

"Let us pledge that we will not allow any attack on the Constitution. It is my duty to protect it, and I will be the first to stand up against any attack on it," he said and greeted people on Constitution Day.

Kharge also greeted citizens on Constitution Day and quoted BR Ambedkar to emphasise that the Constitution is a way of life.

"We remember the invaluable contributions of all the great leaders of the Constituent Assembly. Countless national leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Maulana Azad, Rajendra Prasad, Sarojini Naidu, and Babasaheb Ambedkar played a historic role in building a new India," Kharge said in a post in Hindi on X.

"Today, what we need most is to protect the fundamental principles of the Constitution - justice, equality, freedom, mutual brotherhood, secularism, and socialism," the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha said.

"Today, on Constitution Day, we once again pledge to uphold the freedom of democracy and the Constitution for the unity and integrity of the country, for love and brotherhood, and for harmony," Kharge said.

Taking a swipe at the RSS-BJP on Constitution Day, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged that the RSS "had no role whatsoever" in the making of the Constitution.

"On Saturday, November 26 1949, the Constituent Assembly met at 10 AM with Dr. Rajendra Prasad in the Chair. Before formally putting the motion for the adoption of the draft Constitution of India that had been moved by Dr. Ambedkar the previous day to the vote, Dr Rajendra Prasad made his remarks," Ramesh recalled.

"In his speech explaining the background to and highlights of the Draft that was soon to be adopted, Dr. Rajendra Prasad recalled: 'The method which the Constituent Assembly adopted in connection with the Constitution was first to lay down its 'terms of reference' as it were in the form of an Objectives Resolution which was moved by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (on Dec 13 1946) in an inspiring speech and which constitutes now the Preamble to our Constitution."

"It then proceeded to appoint a number of committees to deal with different aspects of the Constitutional problem. Dr. Ambedkar mentioned the names of these Committees. Several of these had as their Chairman Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru or Sardar Patel to whom thus goes the credit for the fundamentals of our Constitution......'," Ramesh said, quoting Prasad.

"Dr. Rajendra Prasad ended his speech thus: '....I have realised as nobody else could have, with what zeal and devotion the members of the Drafting Committee and especially its Chairman Dr. Ambedkar, in spite of his indifferent health, have worked. We could never make a decision which was or could be ever so right as when we put him on the Drafting Committee and made him its Chairman. He has not only justified his selection but has added lustre to the work he has done....'," he said.

Just as the Constituent Assembly was adopting the Constitution, Governor-General of India C. Rajagopalachari was in Guwahati, replying to the address of welcome from the people of Assam, Ramesh recalled.

"In the course of his brief remarks, Rajaji reminisced warmly: 'Dr. Ambedkar's leading part in steering, on behalf of the Indian National Congress, the Constitution of Independent India is the greatest triumph of non-violence...Regarding this entrustment of responsibility to Dr. Ambedkar to the end of my days I shall proudly cherish the memory of my own initiative in the matter when I was not Governor-General, which received the most generous and most large-hearted and immediate acceptance by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel'," he recalled.

This is all part of the history of Constitution making in which the RSS had no role whatsoever, Ramesh said.

"In fact its role after the Constitution was adopted was to attack and undermine it, a role taken forward by the present PM and HM who have been subverting Constitutional principles, provisions, and practices in a calculated manner," the Congress leader charged.

Since 2015, Constitution Day, or Samvidhan Diwas, has been celebrated on November 26 to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949.

The Congress on Tuesday had recalled that BR Ambedkar had moved the resolution in the Constituent Assembly 76 years ago for the formal adoption of the draft Constitution and claimed that Ambedkar as well as the Constitution were then subject to a "ferocious assault" by the RSS which has continued since.

Since 2015, Constitution Day, or Samvidhan Diwas, has been celebrated on November 26 to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949.