Cong treated Constitution as private fiefdom of one family: Amit Shah

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched a sharp attack on the Congress in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, accusing the party of treating the Constitution as the "private fiefdom" of one family and "playing fraud" with Parliament. Concluding a two-day debate on the "Glorious Journey of 75 Years of the Constitution of India," Shah criticised the Congress for its "appeasement politics" and claimed that the opposition party sought to breach the 50 per cent quota limit to provide reservations to Muslims, which he said the BJP would never allow.

Shah also questioned whether the Congress supported Muslim personal law and accused the party of neglecting the welfare of backward classes. He asserted that the BJP had already implemented a Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand and planned to extend it to all states. The Home Minister drew a contrast between the amendments made by the BJP and those by the Congress, stating that while the latter sought to curtail rights, including freedom of expression, to serve the interests of the "family," the BJP's focus was on public welfare and national interest. He highlighted examples such as the introduction of GST, granting statutory status to the OBC Commission, and women's reservation, PTI reported.

Shah also accused the Congress of being "sore losers" after blaming electronic voting machines (EVMs) for their defeat in the Maharashtra and Haryana assembly elections. He advised the opposition to abandon its claims against EVMs, and to move away from appeasement politics, dynastic rule, and corruption if it hoped to regain power. "In the last 75 years, the Congress played fraud in the name of the Constitution. They (the Nehru-Gandhi family) considered not just the party but the Constitution as their 'private fiefdom'," Shah alleged, referencing the introduction of Article 35A without parliamentary approval.

Shah also criticised the Congress for implementing religious-based reservations in two states under its rule, calling it "unconstitutional." He emphasised that the Constitution clearly states that no reservation should be based on religion, and reaffirmed that as long as the BJP had even one MP, it would not allow reservation based on religion.

Further, Shah accused the Congress of depriving Muslim women of justice, citing the Shah Bano case and the 'triple talaq' issue. He claimed the Congress had failed to bring a uniform civil code due to its prioritisation of appeasement politics.

Shah also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his decisive action in abrogating Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, saying that such a move required "iron will." He added that Jammu and Kashmir had attracted investments totalling Rs 1.19 lakh crore over the past five years.

The Home Minister further criticised the Congress for nurturing Article 370 for 70 years "like an illegitimate child" and accused the party of being "anti-reservation" for blocking the Kaka Kalelkar Commission's recommendations on OBC reservations in 1955. He claimed that had these recommendations been accepted, the Mandal Commission would never have been formed.

Shah noted that the Congress had amended the Constitution numerous times to remain in power, contrasting it with the BJP, which had made 22 amendments over 16 years, compared to the Congress's 77 amendments during its 55 years in power. He also pointed out that Jawaharlal Nehru had been the first to amend the Constitution, curtailing freedom of expression.

Shah also slammed the Congress's "gareebi hatao" slogan, claiming the party had kept the country’s people in poverty while pretending to address their concerns. "Your shop of appeasement has shut down now," he said.

He also mocked the Congress for frequently invoking Dr BR Ambedkar, suggesting that if they had invoked God's name as often, they might have earned a place in heaven.

In a further swipe at the party, Shah referenced the Emergency, stating, "Every child should be told about the Emergency so that no one dares to bring it again." He concluded that the Congress had done nothing but eulogise one family.

Shah stressed that to respect the Constitution, the Congress must shed appeasement, dynastic politics, and corruption. He also criticised Rahul Gandhi for spreading "lies" about the Constitution, asserting that it was not meant to be "waved in the air," but was "faith and devotion."

The Home Minister concluded with a jab at Gandhi, referencing his earlier comments about opening a "mohabbat ki dukaan" (shop of love), asserting that love could not be sold or advertised in a shop.