New Delhi, Aug 2 (UNI) Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge today slammed the BJP and RSS, accusing them of endangering the Constitution by advancing an ideology that contradicts its core principles.
Speaking at the Congress Legal Department’s Annual National Conclave at Vigyan Bhawan, Kharge accused the ruling party and the RSS of attempting to erode the autonomy of key democratic institutions such as the Election Commission and the Vice President’s office.
“Institutions like the Election Commission and the Vice President’s office are being stripped of their autonomy, thereby undermining our pPrliamentary traditions,” Kharge said.
Calling the Constitution the “soul of our democracy,” the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha said it guarantees justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity to every Indian, but is now facing unprecedented challenges. “Those in power are talking about changing its fundamental character,” he warned.
Kharge pointed to the intention expressed by several senior BJP and RSS leaders to remove the words “socialist” and “secular” from the Preamble. “Ironically, these very words exist in the BJP’s own constitution. This hypocrisy exposes the true character and agenda of both the BJP and the RSS,” he said.
He further claimed that had the BJP secured 400 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, it would have amended the Constitution. “Thanks to Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Save the Constitution’ campaign and the collective efforts of the Congress party, the BJP could not even secure a simple majority,” Kharge said.
Highlighting growing concerns over institutional independence, the Congress president accused the government of attempting to weaken the judiciary, manipulate the media through corporate control, and sideline the Chief Justice in the process of appointing the Chief Election Commissioner. “This is not democracy, it is dictatorship,” he asserted.
Kharge also alleged widespread discrimination against minorities and Dalits in BJP-ruled states.
Referring to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, he said there is an orchestrated attempt to remove large sections of the underprivileged from the voter list.
“In Bihar alone, nearly 65 lakh names—largely of the poor, Dalits, tribals, and minorities—have been deleted. And similar plans are underway across the country,” he said.
The Congress, he added, is committed to defending the Constitution and will intensify its campaign to safeguard democracy and restore institutional integrity.
