Modiji never read constitution, says Rahul Gandhi on 'Laal Kitaab' jibe

In a sharp rebuttal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comments, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has accused the BJP of disrespecting India’s Constitution and national icons. The war of words escalated after PM Modi recently claimed that the "red book" that Rahul Gandhi carries, which he refers to as the Constitution, contains blank pages. Responding to the remarks, Gandhi asserted that PM Modi feels the book is “blank” only because he has never read it.

Rahul Gandhi, speaking at a rally in Nandurbar, Maharashtra, emphasized the importance of the Constitution, stating that it represents the soul of India and embodies the principles laid out by national icons such as Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi, and Birsa Munda. He called out PM Modi’s apparent ignorance about the Constitution, saying, "Modi ji feels the Constitution (book) I carry is blank because he has no idea what it contains. He has not read it in his life."

Further, Gandhi rejected the BJP's criticism of the red cover of the book, with Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis claiming it symbolized support for "urban Naxals and anarchists." Rahul Gandhi responded firmly, saying, “We don’t care about whether the colour is red or blue. We are committed to preserve the Constitution and are ready to lay down our lives for it.”

The Congress leader also took the opportunity to advocate for greater representation of marginalized communities, especially adivasis, Dalits, and backward classes, in political decision-making. He criticized the BJP’s portrayal of adivasis as “vanvasi” (forest dwellers) and called it an attempt to deny them basic rights. “Adivasis are the first owners of the country and have the first right on jal, jungle, and zameen,” he added, pointing out the glaring lack of adivasi representation in the government.

The controversy surrounding the Constitution has become a focal point in the run-up to the Maharashtra assembly elections, set for November 20. BJP leaders have used the “blank Constitution” controversy to question Gandhi's stance on reservation and constitutional values. BJP's social media teams even showcased blank-page books labeled “Constitution of India,” accusing Congress of distributing them at a recent Nagpur event.

Congress has vehemently denied the allegations, clarifying that blank notebooks were distributed, not actual copies of the Constitution. In a statement, Congress leaders reiterated, “The whole of India knows that BJP and RSS are the enemies of the real Constitution.” Rahul Gandhi’s remarks about PM Modi’s ignorance of the Constitution were supported by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, who pointed out that PM Modi himself had presented a similar book to former President Ram Nath Kovind in 2017.

As the Maharashtra elections near, the debate over the Constitution has taken center stage, with both Congress and BJP trying to position themselves as the true defenders of India's founding document. With the Constitution’s importance in the public eye, both parties are likely to continue to use it as a key talking point in their campaigns.