Where was your respect for Constitution?

HIMMATNAGAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday questioned the Congress’s respect for the Constitution and said Muslim women have suffered under its rule as he referred to the Rajiv Gandhi government overturning the Supreme Court judgement in the Shah Bano case in 1985.

He claimed that the Congress never dared to ban the practice of instant triple talaq due to vote-bank politics.

Hitting back at the Congress for claiming the BJP will change the Constitution in its third term in office, Modi said the opposition party could not implement the statute book in the entire country during its decades-long rule.

Addressing a rally in Himmatnagar town of north Gujarat in support of the BJP’s Lok Sabha candidates for Sabarkantha and Mehsana seats, Modi claimed that earlier, when terrorists attacked, the weak government used to send dossiers, but the New India today gives a dose to terrorists.

The PM asserted he was committed to the Constitution and ensured its implementation in Jammu and Kashmir by removing Article 370, which provided special status to the erstwhile state.

“Congress leaders are now claiming the Constitution is in danger and reservation will be abolished. In reality, the Congress could not implement the Constitution in the entire country during its 70-year rule. Our Constitution was not implemented in Kashmir… It was Modi who did it because Modi is committed to the Constitution,” emphasised the BJP stalwart.

Modi claimed it was his government that gave reservation rights to Dalits, tribals and OBCs in Kashmir by implementing the Constitution there after removing Article 370.

“Modi works to protect the sanctity of the Constitution in every corner of India. Dalits, tribals and backward classes have already rejected the Congress. The BJP has the highest number of MLAs and MPs from these communities,” he noted.

The PM hit back at the opposition INDIA bloc over its “BJP will change the Constitution” narrative and referred to the then-Congress government’s decision to overturn the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Shah Bano Case of 1985. He alleged that Muslim women have suffered under the Congress rule due to the party’s vote-bank politics.

“Congress shehzada (referring to Rahul Gandhi) is now roaming with (copy of) the Constitution book. In the Shah Bano case, it was your party’s government which overturned the judgement of the Supreme Court, which works as per the Constitution. Where was your respect for the Constitution then? You changed the SC ruling and deprived Muslim women of any security,” said Modi.