Congress takes BJP fire over 'blank' copies of Constitution at Rahul Gandhi event

The colour of the copy of the Constitution carried by Rahul Gandhi also became a point of contention, with Devendra Fadnavis saying it indicated an inclination towards "urban Naxals and anarchists."

In Short

• BJP alleges blank Constitution copies distributed at Rahul Gandhi's event
• Viral video shows books with only the preamble, rest pages blank
• Fadnavis criticises Gandhi for holding a 'red book', linking to 'urban Naxals'

The BJP accused the Congress party of distributing "blank copies of the Constitution" at an event led by Rahul Gandhi in Maharashtra’s Nagpur, where, ironically, the theme was protecting and upholding the Constitution.

A video posted by the Maharashtra BJP on social media, which quickly went viral, showed the books with 'Constitution of India' written on the front but containing only blank pages except for the preamble on the first page.

The Congress, however, hit back at the BJP and accused it of spreading a fake narrative. Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar clarified that a notebook and a pen was given to all those that had attended the event.

BJP VS CONGRESS IN MAHARASHTRA

With the high-stakes Maharashtra assembly election around the corner, the ruling BJP seized on the issue to attack Rahul Gandhi and the Congress, terming the party and its leader anti-reservation and anti-Constitution.

"Congress wants to erase the Constitution of India like this. All laws written by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar are to be deleted. That is why Rahul Gandhi had predicted that reservation would be cancelled in the interim," the Maharashtra BJP tweeted.

"Remember, respected Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and his constitution is not an election issue but the foundation of life of India and Indians. So the people will teach a lesson to the anti-constitutional Congress."

The colour of the copy of the Constitution carried by Rahul Gandhi also became a point of contention. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis blasted Gandhi for holding a "red book," suggesting it indicated an inclination towards "urban Naxals and anarchists."

"My allegations made two days back against Rahul Gandhi have proved true about his inclination towards 'urban Naxals'. He showed the red book and tried seeking help (politically) from urban Naxals and anarchists," Fadnavis said. "Rahul Gandhi indulges in such drama regularly. He, on a daily basis, insults the Constitution in some or other way."

Hitting back, the Maharashtra Congress accused the BJP of peddling a false narrative and reiterated the charge that the saffron party wants to do away with the Constitution.

"The whole of India knows that BJP and RSS are the enemies of the real constitution, no matter how much they try to spread a false narrative by putting the cover of the Constitution on a blank book," it said in a post on X.

"BJP's strategy is to end the Constitution by making false accusations against those who saved the Constitution. But under the leadership of Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, the Constitution-loving people of the country will never allow this cunning plan of BJP to succeed," the party added.

At the Samvidhan Samman Sammelan in Nagpur on Wednesday, the Gandhi scion held a slim copy of the Constitution with a red cover and accused the BJP and its ideological mentor, the RSS, of attacking the Constitution and thereby attacking the "voice of the country".

He once again repeated his call for a nationwide caste census, saying the exercise will happen and his party will "break the wall of 50 per cent" reservation limit.

With inputs from Yogesh Pandey