During the special parliamentary debate on the Indian Constitution, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi challenged the BJP government by invoking the words of their ideological figure, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. Gandhi began his speech by quoting Savarkar’s writings, highlighting his controversial views on Manusmriti and its alignment with India’s cultural and legal systems.

Gandhi quoted Savarkar: “The worst thing about the Constitution of India is that there is nothing Indian about it. Manusmriti is the most worshippable scripture after the Vedas and should be the law.” Gandhi used this to question whether the ruling party aligns with Savarkar’s views, asking, “Do you stand by your leader’s words? If you defend the Constitution, are you not ridiculing and defaming Savarkar?”

He drew a parallel between the current political climate and the Mahabharata’s Kurukshetra, describing a battle to protect the Constitution. Gandhi hailed defenders of the Constitution from various Indian states, citing figures like Periyar in Tamil Nadu, Basavanna in Karnataka, Phule and Ambedkar in Maharashtra, and Mahatma Gandhi in Gujarat.

Criticising the BJP’s hesitant praise for these figures, Gandhi accused the ruling party of wanting to revert to an outdated system of governance, undermining the values enshrined in the Constitution.