New Delhi:
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday launched a nationwide “Save the Constitution†campaign and said that while the country may burn, Dalits may die and women may be raped, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was interested only in becoming the prime minister again.
Dalit rights and women's safety were the main issues of Gandhi's blistering attack on Modi at the launch of the Congress party's "Save the Constitution" campaign.
Speaking at the inauguration of the year-long campaign, Rahul said that the country may burn, girls may be raped and the rights of scheduled castes and minorities be under threat, but Modi was merely interested in becoming the prime minister again.
Launching an all-out attack on Modi, Gandhi said that the constitutional values had been endangered under the Modi government and assured the people that his party would not let it happen.
The Congress president went full throttle and said that the Modi government was destroying country's constitutional institutions by appointing RSS ideologues to occupy important positions.
The campaign was seen as the Congress party’s major attempt to target Dalit voters ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls. During the launch of the drive, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, newly elevated general secretary Ashok Gehlot, Ghulam Nabi Azad and other senior leaders were also present.
Earlier, announcing the campaign, the Congress party tweeted,"The past three years have witnessed an unprecedented rise in atrocities against Dalits. Despite this, the SC/ST Act has been diluted. The Modi Govt is a clear and present danger to the Constitution of India. It is time for us to unite and #SaveTheConstitution.â€
The campaign was launched at the Talkatora Stadium in Delhi and will continue until April 14, 2019.
Highlights:
# 01:45 PM: The country could burn, girls may be raped and the rights of scheduled castes and minorities be under a threat, but Modi was merely interested in becoming the prime minister again, says Rahul Gandhi.
# 01:30 PM:Â The Congress Party will stand together to protect the interests of Dalits and other weaker sections of the society wherever the BJP & RSS attacks them: Rahul Gandhi
The Congress Party will stand together to protect the interests of Dalits and other weaker sections of the society wherever the BJP & RSS attacks them: Congress President @RahulGandhi #SaveTheConstitution pic.twitter.com/8ldjRl7Gzx
— Congress (@INCIndia) April 23, 2018
# 01:15 PM:Â We will never allow the BJP & RSS to destroy our Constitution. The people of India will speak their "Mann ki Baat" in 2019: Rahul
# 01:05 PM:Â Our institutions were gifted to us by our Constitution. The Modi Govt is now destroying these institutions by appointing RSS ideologues to occupy important positions: Rahul Gandhi
# 12: 55 PM:Â In his book Karmayog, PM Modi justifies manual scavenging by calling it a "spiritual experience" for the Valmiki community. This speaks volumes about his anti-Dalit mindset: Rahul Gandhi
# 12: 40 PM:Â Rahul Gandhi launches the SaveTheConstitution campaign.
LIVE: Congress President @RahulGandhi launches the #SaveTheConstitution campaign. https://t.co/dgAz62EvoZ
— Congress (@INCIndia) April 23, 2018
# 12: 20 PM:Â A packed gathering at the Talkatora Stadium in Delhi for the launch of the Save The Constitution campaign.
A packed gathering at the Talkatora Stadium in Delhi for the launch of the #SaveTheConstitution campaign. pic.twitter.com/jaVDiIjF9g
— Congress (@INCIndia) April 23, 2018
# 12:15 PM:Â Congress President Rahul Gandhi arrives at the Talkatora Stadium to launch the Save The Constitution campaign.
Congress President @RahulGandhi arrives at the Talkatora Stadium to launch the #SaveTheConstitution campaign. pic.twitter.com/b8kCggBl3r
— Congress (@INCIndia) April 23, 2018
# 12:03 PM:Â Rahul Gandhi asks people to join his year-long Save the Constitution campaign.
SC/ST à¤à¤•à¥à¤Ÿ में हà¥à¤ बदलाव के विरोध में दलित à¤à¤¾à¤‡à¤¯à¥‹à¤‚ और बहनों के साथ खड़े होने के लिठऔर BJP/RSS की दलितों के पà¥à¤°à¤¤à¤¿ à¤à¥‡à¤¦à¤à¤¾à¤µ की नीति को बेनक़ाब करने के लिठआज तालकटोरा मैदान में “संविधान बचाओ†रैली में शामिल हों।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 23, 2018
आपकी à¤à¤¾à¤—ीदारी और सहयोग की अपेकà¥à¤·à¤¾ है।#SaveTheConstitution
# 10:50 AM: "A movement has begun to stand in solidarity with the Dalits & other oppressed communities and to protect the values enshrined in our Constitution. Join us in protecting the idea of India. #SaveTheConstitution," Congress tweeted.
A movement has begun to stand in solidarity with the Dalits & other oppressed communities and to protect the values enshrined in our Constitution. Join us in protecting the idea of India. #SaveTheConstitution pic.twitter.com/Gl2D9aXYCr
— Congress (@INCIndia) April 23, 2018
# 10: 45 AM: Congress launches year-long Save The Consitution campaign over the rising atrocities against Dalits. Watch Inaugural address by Nitin Raut Chairman, SC Department of AICC.
LIVE: Inaugural address by @DrNitinRaut6, Chairman, SC Department of AICC. #SaveTheConsitution https://t.co/AyI0aWAZQj
— Congress (@INCIndia) April 23, 2018
# 10:30 AM: Dalits comprise roughly 17 per cent of India’s total population and there are as much as 84 parliamentary constituencies reserved for SC/ST candidates. In 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP won nearly half of them while the Congress could manage to win only three-four seats of them.
