Sakti (Chhattisgarh), Apr 23 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hit out at Congress over a remark by its Goa candidate that the Constitution was imposed on the coastal state, and said it was a “ploy” to break the country.
Speaking at an election rally in Chhattisgarh’s Sakti district, Modi said Congress, which `divides the country in the name of religion,’ has been indulging in appeasement since day one after independence.
“Congress is not able to digest the participation of Dalits, Adivasis and backward classes in power. Now the party has started a big game. Earlier a Congress MP from Karnataka said south India should be declared a separate country, now a Congress candidate from Goa said the Indian Constitution is not applicable in Goa,” he said.
“He is saying the Constitution was forced on Goa….Isn’t this an insult to Babasaheb Ambedkar? Isn’t this an insult to the Constitution? Is this not tampering with the Constitution of India?” the prime minister asked.
The Congress candidate made this statement publicly which meant he had the support of his leader, Modi said, in apparent swipe at Rahul Gandhi.
“It is a ploy to break the country. A huge part of the country has rejected Congress, and therefore the party wants to create such small islands,” he claimed.
The prime minister was referring to Congress candidate from South Goa, Viriato Fernandes, who said on Monday that then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had said that Goa will decide its own destiny after it was liberated from Portuguese rule, but “this did not happen”, and the Indian Constitution was “forced” on the state.
Modi further said that today Congress was rejecting the Constitution in Goa, and tomorrow it would do the same in the entire country.
The opposition party neither has a vision for the country, nor does it know “the ABCD” of welfare of the poor, he said.
The PM also countered Congress’ allegation that the BJP was planning to change the Constitution if voted to power for a third term, saying, “Leave aside BJP, even Babasaheb Ambedkar himself can not abolish the Constitution.” PTI TKP VT KRK
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