'Cong tasted blood, wounded Constitution': PM Modi launches scathing attack on Nehru-Gandhi family

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday stated that while his government’s policies and decisions since 2014 have been focused on enhancing India's strength and unity in line with the vision of the Constitution, the Congress, after having "tasted blood", repeatedly undermined the Constitution.

Responding to a two-day debate in the Lok Sabha on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution, Modi criticised the previous Congress governments for sowing "poisonous" seeds in India’s diversity to amplify its contradictions and harm its unity.

He launched a sharp attack on the Nehru-Gandhi family, accusing them of continuously striking blows against the Constitution. "This family challenged the Constitution at every level," he said, highlighting their extended time in power, which spanned over 55 years.

Modi pointed out that having “tasted blood”, this family had consistently wounded the Constitution, citing several decisions made by Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Rajiv Gandhi during their respective terms as Prime Ministers.

The Prime Minister also referred to the present generation of the family, directing his remarks towards Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and his sister, MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, implying they were continuing in the same vein, PTI reported.

He emphasised that leaders like himself, and many others who come from humble backgrounds, could never have reached where they did without the strength of the Constitution, underscoring his long-standing commitment to its values.

As Chief Minister of Gujarat, Modi recalled how his government marked the 60th anniversary of the Constitution's adoption by placing a copy of the document on an elephant while he walked barefoot beneath it, symbolising its supreme importance.

Criticising the Nehru-Gandhi family further, Modi highlighted how the first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, amended the Constitution to limit freedom of expression. He also pointed to Indira Gandhi, who imposed the Emergency in 1975 to defy a Supreme Court ruling that annulled her election as an MP. He stated that she "throttled India's democracy and mutilated the Constitution" to secure her position as Prime Minister. Additionally, Modi mentioned that she made an amendment to protect the President, Vice President, and herself from any legal challenge to their positions, with retrospective effect.

During this period, India was effectively turned into a jail, and the judiciary was suppressed, he said. Rajiv Gandhi, who succeeded his mother as Prime Minister after her assassination, also amended the Constitution, a legacy Modi labelled as a permanent stain on the Congress.

Without directly naming Rahul Gandhi, Modi mentioned an “arrogant” individual who had torn up the Cabinet's decision during the Congress-led UPA government, which was headed by then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He also noted that the National Advisory Council, headed by Sonia Gandhi, was placed "above" the Cabinet during UPA rule.

Modi criticised the Congress for pushing for religious-based reservations, which violated the constitutional spirit. He said that the framers of the Constitution had deliberately decided to disallow reservations based on religion to ensure the country’s unity and integrity. However, he accused the Congress of seeking to appease its vote bank at the cost of this principle.

On the other hand, Modi outlined his government’s steps to strengthen the Constitution, such as repealing Article 370 to unify the country and introducing GST to implement the "one nation, one tax" system.

He praised India’s journey since the adoption of the Constitution in 1949 as "extraordinary", asserting that the country’s ancient democratic roots have long been an inspiration to the world. "India is not only a large democracy but the mother of democracy," he remarked during the Lok Sabha debate.

The Prime Minister also spoke about India's resolve to become a developed country by 2047, stressing that unity is essential to achieving this goal. “Our Constitution is the foundation of our unity,” he affirmed.

Modi stated that India had defied all predictions about its democratic future after independence, crediting the Constitution for bringing the country to its current stage of progress.

He paid tribute to the architects of the Constitution and the Indian citizens for living up to its ideals. The Prime Minister mentioned that those involved in the drafting of the Constitution recognised that India was not born in 1947 nor turned democratic in 1950, citing the thoughts of eminent figures like Purushottam Das Tandon and Bhim Rao Ambedkar.

He also praised the Constitution for granting women the right to vote, pointing to the nation’s ongoing journey of women-led development. Modi concluded by lauding the unanimous passage of the law reserving seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.