Constitution will be scrapped, democracy will end if Modi-Shah voted to power: Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday (April 21) claimed that democracy will end in the country if the “Modi-Shah sarkar” returns to power and accused the ruling party of telling lies.

Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah while addressing a public meeting in MP's Satna district, Kharge said they will also scrap the Constitution.

“They will scrap the Constitution scripted by Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar. If you want to keep it alive, uphold the right to vote for women, labourers and farmers, then vote for the Congress and its 'panja' (hand) symbol,” the Congress leader appealed to the voters.

The BJP has been rejecting the Opposition charges that it would tinker with the Constitution if elected for the third term.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi was scheduled to address the rally in Satna but his visit was cancelled as he took ill, a party leader said earlier. Later, Kharge said Rahul was suffering from food poisoning.

The Satna Lok Sabha seat will go to polls in the second phase on April 26.

“Democracy will end if Modi-Shah's government returns to power,” Kharge claimed addressing the public meeting held in support of Congress candidate Siddharth Kushwaha.

The only work the BJP does is to abuse Congress, and the Gandhi family and ruin the Constitution, he alleged.

“Modi is saying that even Dr Ambedkar can’t change the Constitution. These are his words, not mine… If it is true why your MPs and MLAs say that give us a two-third majority, we will change the Constitution... Anantkumar Hedge (MP from Karnataka) says we want 400 seats to change the Constitution. These are their words,” he said.

Kharge's comments came a day after Rahul Gandhi during a poll rally in Bihar accused the BJP at the Centre of trying to “scrap” the Constitution and vowed that the Opposition INDIA bloc will “foil the attempt”.

PM Modi has asserted in recent days that he respects the Constitution and nobody can change it. In an election rally in MP’s Hoshangabad district on April 14, he had slammed the Congress saying it was spreading rumours that the Constitution and democracy were in danger.

(With agency inputs)