Cong accuses BJP, RSS of wanting to discard Ambedkar's Constitution

New Delhi, Nov 8 (PTI) The Congress alleged on Friday that the BJP and the RSS "want to get rid" of B R Ambedkar's Constitution and replace it with one based on the ideology of the Manusmriti, and said that is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "called the caste census an attempt to divide the nation".

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ideological mentor, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), have many grouses with the Constitution, and reservations for Dalits, Adivasis and Other Backward Classes (OBC) are among the primary ones.

Ramesh's attack came after Modi accused the Congress of playing a dangerous game of dividing castes and communities. If the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes stay united, the Congress's politics will be over, the prime minister said in Dhule, addressing his first rally in Maharashtra for the November 20 Assembly polls in the state.

"The Congress wants to pit one caste against another and weaken the unity of the SCs, STs and OBC. Since (Jawaharlal) Nehru's time, the Congress and his family opposed reservation and now, their fourth generation 'yuvraj' (prince) is working for caste divisions. You must realise that 'ek hai toh safe hai' (we will be safe if we are united)," Modi said.

Alleging that the BJP and the RSS have many grouses with the Constitution and reservations, Ramesh said this is a matter of historical record.

"The RSS mouthpiece, Organiser, came down heavily on the Constitution within four days of its adoption by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949.

"In its issue dated November 30 that year, the periodical stated that 'the worst thing about the new Constitution of Bharat is that there is nothing Bharatiya about it. To this day, his laws as enunciated in the Manusmriti, excite the admiration of the world and elicit spontaneous obedience and conformity. But to our constitutional pundits that means nothing'," the Congress leader said in a post on X.

"The BJP and RSS want to get rid of Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution, and replace it with one based on the ideology of the Manusmriti," he alleged.

"This is why their leader in Maharashtra, Mr Fadnavis, criticised the Constitution as being affiliated to 'Urban Naxals' and why the non-biological PM has called the caste census -- a historic step to bring Babasaheb's Constitution to its full vision -- as an attempt to divide the nation. This is a typical Modi-style lie," the Congress general secretary said.

A caste census, followed by the removal of the 50-per cent ceiling on reservations for the SCs, STs and OBC, is essential for ensuring full social justice, Ramesh asserted in his post on the microblogging platform, using the hashtags "BJP Hatao Samvidhan Bachao" and "Aarakshan Virodhi BJP". PTI