'Sahab, Ismein Sab Kuch Likha Hai': Kharge Hits Back At PM Modi Over 'Empty Constitution' Remarks

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge addresses a public meeting in support of the party General Secretary and candidate for Wayanad Lok Sabha by-elections, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, at Chandakunnu in Wayanad on Thursday. (ANI Photo)

Maharashtra Assembly Elections: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday replied to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "empty Constitution" remarks on the party and said that "Sahab", everything is written in it. Addressing a public gathering at Nagpur today, Kharge asked Congress candidate Nitin Raut to send a copy of the Constitution to PM Modi.

"This is the Constitution; it has everything inside it. He (PM Modi) said the pages of this red book which Rahul Gandhi reads is blank. He said it is 'kora kaagaz'...Read this, is it blank? I would request Nitin Raut to send a copy of this book to him. Sahab ismein sab likha hua hai (Sir, everything is written in it)," he said. Earlier today, PM Modi attacked Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and said that the "Laal Kitab" of the Constitution which the Congress was flaunting contained "nothing".

"In 'farziwada', Congress has broken its own record. The 'Laal Kitab' of the Constitution which the Congress party was flaunting and distributing contained 'nothing'. It was an empty book. This is nothing but a testament to Congress' disregard and hate for Baba Saheb Ambedkar. The entire country is in shock over this foolish and unfortunate political play of Congress," PM Modi said.

Further, the Congress President said that some people have now started to honor Babasaheb, who, until a few years ago, never spoke about him.

"They used to say that Babasaheb's constitution was not right for them and that if it had to be made, it should be based on 'Manusmriti'. Today, Modi Ji comes to Nagpur and pays tribute to Babasaheb's photo. I want to ask the people of BJP why there was no photo of Ambedkar in their offices before," Kharge said.

"If Narendra Modi had the majority, who knows how many changes he would have made to the Constitution. But he did not get the majority. Modi Ji stands on two legs, and both are artificial. One leg is TDP, and the other is JDU. If those two legs are removed, Modi Ji will not even be able to walk; he will have to sit down. If anything happens to the Constitution, RSS and Modi Ji will be responsible because their ideology says so," he added. He further highlighted Congress' guarantees which, he claimed, that they have fulfilled in the states ruled by them like Karnataka.

"Modi Ji says that all of Congress' guarantees are lies. If so, tell us what is a lie. We have fulfilled guarantees in Telangana, Karnataka, and Himachal Pradesh. In Karnataka's budget, we had set aside funds for the Greh Laxmi Yojana. We allocated a budget of 9,657 crores, of which 5,164 crores have been spent. For the Shakti Scheme, which provided free bus travel for women, a budget of 5,000 crores was set, of which 2,708 crores have been spent," Mallikarjun Kharge said.