Rahul Gandhi: Constitution Under Attack, Reflects Guru Nanak's Thinking

Nawanshahr (Punjab), May 30 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said Thursday that the Constitution reflects the thinking of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak and freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, and claimed that it is under attack from the BJP and the RSS.

Gandhi was interacting with farmers in Khatkar Kalan village in Punjab's Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district on the last day of campaigning for the seventh phase of the Lok Sabha elections. He was accompanied by the Congress' Anandpur Sahib candidate Vijay Inder Singla.

Khatkar Kalan is the ancestral village of Bhagat Singh.

Gandhi said he was happy to visit the village of the legendary Bhagat Singh.

"For the first time in independent India, the Constitution is being attacked," he said.

"Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and (other) BJP leaders have clearly said that if they win the elections, they will scrap and tear up Ambedkar's Constitution and throw it away," the Congress leader claimed.

Holding a copy of the Constitution, Gandhi said it is not just a book. The Constitution reflects the thinking of Guru Nanak and other greats.

"When the BJP and RSS people attack it, they attack the country's history and its heart. The most important thing in this election is the mission to protect Ambedkar's Constitution," he said.

"The BJP is openly attacking the Constitution," he charged.

Responding to an elderly women who spoke about "meagre" MGNREGA wages, Gandhi said if the opposition INDIA bloc comes to power, it will raise the daily wage from Rs 250 to Rs 400.

He also said that honorariums of anganwadi and ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers will be doubled after June 4.

Gandhi alleged the Modi government is working for only 22 billionaires.

He also spoke about the Congress' proposed Mahalaxmi Yojana under which women from poor families will be given Rs 1 lakh every year.

They will continue to receive this money till they come out of poverty, he said.

He also said that 30 lakh vacancies in central government will be filled up by giving jobs to youths.

Gandhi also targeted the Modi government over the Agniveer scheme and said it is an insult to the Army.

He said if the INDIA bloc comes to power, it will throw the Agniveer scheme in the dustbin.

Having two types of jawans in the Army is unacceptable. One will get pension, full training and martyr status while the Agniveer will neither get pension nor martyr status, he said.

The government rolled out the Agnipath recruitment scheme in June 2022 for short-term induction of personnel with an aim to bring down the age profile of the three armed services.

It provides for recruiting youngsters between the age bracket of 17-and-half years and 21 for four years with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 more years.