Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a blistering attack on the Congress party during his address to the Lok Sabha, accusing the Nehru-Gandhi family of committing "sins" against the Constitution of India and democratic framework. His comments, made during a discussion marking the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution, centred on the actions of former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and the Gandhi family.
“The sins on the Congress’s forehead will not be washed away,” Modi remarked, referring to the imposition of the Emergency in 1975 under Indira Gandhi’s government. He accused her of undermining constitutional rights, saying, “The Constitution was torn apart when it was completing 25 years; the Emergency was imposed, all constitutional rights were snatched, and the country was turned into a jail.”
Modi also criticised the party for its historical treatment of the Constitution. He cited Nehru’s letter to Chief Ministers, instructing them to amend the Constitution if it hindered the government's agenda. “Nehru wrote a letter to Chief Ministers saying, if the Constitution comes in our way, it should be amended. The Congress got a taste for the Constitution’s blood, they kept hunting for it,” Modi said.
He further mentioned Indira Gandhi saying, “After the sins committed by the first Prime Minister, she continued the work. The Constitution was amended to clip the wings of the Supreme Court after a verdict. The rights of the courts were snatched away. Indira Gandhi committed this sin in 1971.” Modi remarked how Indira Gandhi imposed the Emergency to "save her own chair."
PM Modi noted that she also effected an amendment to protect the president, vice president, and herself from any legal challenge to their position with a retrospective effect.
The Prime Minister also targeted Rajiv Gandhi for overturning the Supreme Court's ruling in the Shah Bano case, accusing him of sacrificing the spirit of the Constitution for political gain. “He sacrificed the spirit of Constitution for vote bank politics. He supported extremists instead of an old woman seeking justice,” Modi said.
Modi further slammed the Congress for placing Sonia Gandhi-led ‘National Advisory Council’ over the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) during the Manmohan Singh-led government. "In a book, former PM Dr Manmohan Singh has been quoted, who said that he needs to 'accept that the government is answerable to the party'... Congress even placed a non-Constitutional body, National Advisory Council, over and above the PMO. Another generation of the Gandhi family even tore apart a Cabinet's decision in front of the press."
In a sharp criticism of Congress’s modern-day leadership, Modi cited Rahul Gandhi’s actions in tearing up an ordinance passed by the Manmohan Singh government, calling it a direct affront to Cabinet decisions. In 2013, Rahul Gandhi during a presser tore an ordinance of the Manmohan Singh government for 3 months of protection from disqualification to elected representatives.
"Congress did not follow its own constitution, made Nehru the leader when state units had supported Sardar Patel," he recalled.
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PM Modi Accuses Congress Of Opposing Reservation, Detesting BR Ambedkar
He also accused the Congress of opposing Reservation citing letters written by Pdt. Jawaharlal Nehru. “Pdt. Nehru wrote long letters in this regard to Chief Ministers… Mandal Commission’s report was thrown in the bin.
“Congress didn’t give reservation to OBCs, else several representatives from the community would have held posts in the government now,” he added.
PM Modi accused the Congress of trying to introduce quotas based on religious lines, “Congress to appease its vote bank played the shameless game of religious reservation for its greed of power.”
Modi further accused Congress of having a deep-seated disdain for Dr B.R. Ambedkar, asserting that the party did nothing for a memorial to the architect of the Constitution during its time in power. "Congress did nothing for it in 10 years, and then, due to our reverence for him, we continued the work," he said. He also pointed out that Ambedkar was awarded the Bharat Ratna only after Congress was voted out of power.
On the Uniform Civil Code too, the Prime Minister accused the Congress of opposing the sentiments of the architects of the Constitution and Supreme Court as it “does not suit their vote bank”. “Ambedkar strongly advocated UCC for all religions, and so did other leaders; that is why we are bringing a secular civil code,” he noted.
He said the Congress is “using the Constitution to create fear.”
He condemned some forces for trying to sow division in India by undermining unity, highlighting how they "found conflicts in diversity instead of celebrating it."
Referring to the abolition of Article 370, Modi stated, "We removed it because we prioritised unity." "Congress has constantly disrespected the Constitution, reduced the importance of the Constitution. Congress is full of many examples of this... Everyone knows about 370 but very few know about 35-A... If there is any first son of the Constitution of India, then it is the Parliament but they have strangled it too. They imposed 35-A on the country without bringing it to the Parliament... This work was done on the orders of the President and the Parliament of the country was kept in the dark," he remarked.
PM Modi On Women's Role In India's Democratic Journey, Aim To Become Third Largest Economy
The Prime Minister also praised India’s democratic evolution, quoting Dr Ambedkar’s understanding of democracy and highlighting the country’s progress, particularly the empowerment of women. “Women played a crucial role in strengthening the Constitution... Women are at the centre of all major schemes. A tribal woman is our president, which expresses the essence of the Constitution,” he remarked.
Emphasising unity, Modi stated that India was on track to become the world's third-largest power, adding, "This is every Indian’s resolve. The biggest requirement for it is unity." He also lauded the success of the Digital India initiative, stating that it was a key driver in the country's technological progress, "We do not want a ‘haves and have nots’ situation in the digital sector."