Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress MP, said the Indian Constitution and the ideals of Gandhi and Ambedkar are under attack.
These allegations highlight a deepening ideological divide between the opposition and the current government regarding social justice and the legal framework of the state. Gandhi said that current policies erode equality, which threatens the constitutional vision established by the nation's founders.
Speaking in Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh, on April 14, 2024, during Ambedkar Jayanti, Gandhi said that the Constitution is being attacked "24 hours a day" [1]. He linked this perceived assault to specific government actions and omissions that he believes undermine the rights of marginalized populations.
Among the primary grievances cited was the weakening of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, known as MNREGA [2]. Gandhi said that the erosion of such social safety nets removes essential protections for the poor, a move he views as a departure from the ideals of social welfare.
Gandhi also pointed to the failure to conduct a caste census as a critical issue [2]. He said that the absence of such data prevents the government from addressing systemic inequalities and implementing fair distribution of resources.
Furthermore, the Congress leader said that the government exhibits favoritism toward select industrialists [2]. He said this concentration of wealth and influence contradicts the egalitarian principles envisioned by B.R. Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi.
Gandhi concluded his remarks by saying he would fight to protect the ideals of Ambedkar [3]. He framed the struggle as a necessary defense of the democratic framework against forces that seek to finish the Constitution [4].
“The Constitution is being attacked "24 hours a day"”
By linking the lack of a caste census and the weakening of MNREGA to a broader attack on the Constitution, Rahul Gandhi is attempting to frame economic and administrative policy as a fundamental threat to Indian democracy. This strategy seeks to mobilize marginalized communities by presenting the government's industrial and social policies as an ideological shift away from the inclusive vision of the country's founding fathers.
