BJP ridiculing Savarkar when it talks of protecting Constitution: Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday cited V D Savarkar’s remarks that there was nothing Indian about the Constitution and took a jibe at the BJP, saying that by talking of protecting the Constitution, the ruling party is “ridiculing” Savarkar.

Participating in a debate on 75 years of adoption of the Constitution, the Congress leader said Savarkar, who is seen as an ideologue of the BJP and RSS, had said there is nothing Indian about the Constitution, and that he preferred Hindu religious text ‘Manusmriti’ to it.

“The Constitution is a document of modern India but it could never have been written without ancient India and her ideas,” Rahul Gandhi said.

Savarkar had said there is nothing Indian about the Constitution and called Manusmriti, a scripture, “most worshipable” for Hindus after the Vedas, according to Gandhi.

“Nice that you say you are defending the Constitution, but I want to ask, do you stand by your leader’s words? Because when you speak about protecting the Constitution, you are abusing, ridiculing Savarkar,” the Leader of Opposition told the BJP.

He said a battle is taking place in India, and recited the story of ‘Eklavya’ who had sacrificed his thumb as a tribute to Guru Dronacharya.

“When you give Dharavi to Adani, you chop off thumb of the small and medium businesses there...You have fired tear gas shells on farmers outside Delhi, the farmers are asking for fair prices...You are cutting the thumb of that farmer,” he said.

The Congress leader also talked about caste census, and supported removing the 50 per cent cap on reservations.