‘Congress amended constitution to stay in power’: Former CM Basavaraj Bommai

Haveri (Karnataka) [India], January 24 (ANI): Former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai recently accused the Congress of making the constitution ineffective and insulting the judiciary for "selfish gains". "The Congress has amended the constitution multiple times to stay in power, essentially "killing the Constitution," he alleged.
He was speaking at a seminar organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday at Shivashakti Palace as part of the Constitution Awareness Campaign.
Bommai said, "Congress insulted Mahatma Gandhi by claiming 'Jai Bapu' and insulted Dr Ambedkar by claiming 'Jai Bhim.' When former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh attempted to implement laws to curb corruption, Rahul Gandhi tore up those proposals. This reflects Congress' respect for the Constitution."
The former CM pointed out that when Dr Ambedkar returned from abroad and wanted to practice law, he was not granted a license. "It was Karnataka's Siddappa Kambali who appointed Ambedkar as a professor. Congress had insulted Ambedkar multiple times during his lifetime. Ambedkar's ideology was vastly different from Congress's principles. Former PM Jawaharlal Nehru couldn't get along with Ambedkar, and now Congress is trying to atone for the insults it caused. The Congress' moral decline has begun," he added.
Bommai said it was the BJP that created awareness about the Constitution. Prime Minister Narendra Modi considers the Constitution the sacred text and has worked to amend it for the social and economic development of the nation, ensuring justice for all, he added.
"BJP's duty is to protect the Constitution. The Congress is under the illusion that propaganda will help them regain power, but that won't happen," the senior BJP leader said.
Bommai further slammed AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge for comparing Priyanka Gandhi to Kittur Rani Chennamma, claiming it was an insult to the freedom struggle.
Meanwhile, BJP MP Govind Karjol accused Congress of amending the Constitution for selfish reasons and misleading the public.
"The Congress amended the Constitution 75 times, whereas former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee amended it 14 times and Modi eight times, for inclusive growth. Vajpayee worked to enhance job reservations for Dalits, and Modi brought amendments for equality in education and employment in Jammu and Kashmir," he said.
Former Minister BC Patil also lashed out at Congress for not allocating land for Ambedkar's memorial when he passed away. Labelling the present Congress as "fake", he said that BJP was the only party that respects the constitution.
"The Congress defeated Ambedkar in elections and is now using his name for political gains. The Congress during Gandhi's time was different from the current Congress, which is a fake version. BJP is the only party that genuinely respects the Constitution," he added.
BJP state general secretary P Rajeev remarked that the world should never forget the attacks Congress made on the Constitution and the insults directed at Ambedkar. He further charges Indira Gandhi for misusing the Constitution to impose an emergency, robbing people of their freedom. He also accused Congress of frequently dissolving non-Congress governments despite having majority support.
Rajeev alleged that Rahul Gandhi, despite holding the Constitution in his hands, has never read it.
The program began with an introductory speech by BJP leader Gavisiddappa Dyamannavar. Other speakers included former chairman of the State Leather Corporation DS Malagi, and former MLA Virupakshappa Ballari. Prominent leaders like former MLA Shivaraj Sajjanar, Kalyan Kumar Shettar, Bhojaraj Karudi, Shobha Nissim Gowdar, Basavaraj Chalageri, and Chandrappa Harijan were also present.
This comes after Congress held an event in Karnataka's Belagavi on January 21. The 'Jai Babu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan' rally was organised in Belagavi today to mark 100 years of the Nava Satyagraha Baithak held in 1924, which was chaired by Mahatma Gandhi in his capacity as the Congress president. (ANI)