
BJP, RSS want to rewrite Constitution but can't destroy it, says Kharge; accuses Modi govt of selling public sector to Adani, Ambani; slams centre over GST dues, Manipur crisis
and the
of wanting to rewrite India's Constitution, asserting that no matter how hard they try, 'the Constitution cannot be destroyed.'
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Speaking at a mega convention organised by the Karnataka government, Kharge said, 'Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar is the architect of our Constitution, not Modi, not the RSS. If the Constitution is weakened, you (the BJP) will be finished. Congress has always upheld economic strength and social justice, working tirelessly from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, Assam to Gujarat.'
Kharge alleged that the BJP-led Centre was 'selling off' Nehru-era public sector enterprises to corporates.
'The BJP is selling off factories that employed lakhs of workers to Adani and Ambani,' he said, adding that institutions like BHL and HMT were established during Nehru's time to strengthen India's public sector.
'But what has Modi or his followers contributed to Mysuru or Karnataka? They are only visible on TV from morning to night. In the past, prime ministers were not constantly on screen, making empty speeches,' Kharge said.
He accused the Modi government of ignoring the needs of states like Karnataka and Manipur. 'Where is Karnataka's GST money? The Centre returns only 4% of what we deserve,' Kharge said, slamming the BJP for 'neglecting suffering states like Manipur.'
Kharge also targeted BJP chief ministers, alleging that they have 'no voice' under PM Modi. 'In contrast, our CMs, Deputy CMs, MLAs—all engage with the people. Our party workers are on the ground, delivering guarantees and real progress,' he said.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
'We fulfil our guarantees, unlike the BJP, whose promises have failed in Karnataka, Telangana, and Himachal. Even Modi's visits don't change that,' Kharge added.
He said that Congress stands for development, justice, and accountability, while the BJP 'only talks, sells public assets, and ignores suffering people.'

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Scroll.in
23 minutes ago
- Scroll.in
No plan to remove ‘secular', ‘socialist' from Preamble: Centre
The Union government has no plans or intention to remove the words 'secular' and 'socialist' from the Preamble to the Constitution, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal told Parliament on Thursday. Meghwal acknowledged that 'certain groups' were seeking the removal of the two words from the Preamble. 'Any discussions regarding amendments to the Preamble would require thorough deliberation and broad consensus, but as of now, the government has not initiated any formal process to change these provisions,' Meghwal told Rajya Sabha. The words 'socialist' and 'secular' were not part of the Constitution adopted in 1950 and were added in 1976 through the 42nd constitutional amendment. In November, the Supreme Court dismissed petitions filed by Bharatiya Janata Party leaders Subramanian Swamy and Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, in addition to a separate plea by a man named Balram Singh, challenging the 1976 amendment. Citing this ruling, the Union law minister said: 'The court clarified that 'socialism' in the Indian context signifies a welfare state and does not impede private sector growth, while 'secularism' is integral to the Constitution's basic structure.' The court had said in its order that there was no legitimate justification for challenging the constitutional amendment several decades later. The minister's response to Samajwadi Party MP Ramji Lal Suman's questions in the Rajya Sabha came about a month after a political row erupted about the inclusion of the words in the Constitution. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in June called for a review of the two terms. The RSS is the parent organisation of the ruling BJP. A day after the comment by RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, Jagdeep Dhankhar, the vice president at the time, had said that the addition of the words 'secular' and 'socialist' to the Preamble of the Constitution during the Emergency was a ' sacrilege to the spirit of sanatana '. Sanatana dharma is a term some people use as a synonym for Hinduism. Union ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Jitendra Singh had also voiced their support for a review. Chouhan had claimed that the words 'secular' and 'socialist' are not core to Indian culture and called for a discussion on their removal from the Constitution. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had criticised the RSS for seeking a review of the two words in the Preamble, saying that the Hindutva organisation's ' mask had come off again '. In 2015, a controversy erupted after the BJP-led Union government's newspaper advertisements on Republic Day featured a Preamble with the two words omitted. In September 2023, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury claimed that the two words were missing from the Preamble


Hindustan Times
23 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Should EC let dead people be in poll rolls, asks CEC
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Thursday defended the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of Bihar's electoral rolls, questioning whether the Election Commission should allow deceased persons, permanent migrants and duplicate voters to remain registered amid opposition allegations that the exercise would disenfranchise crores of legitimate voters. Should EC let dead people be in poll rolls, asks CEC Kumar's strident defence came as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi escalated his attack on the poll panel, claiming his party possessed definitive proof of electoral fraud in Karnataka and threatening consequences for election officials. Speaking in Parliament premises, Gandhi declared: 'Not 90 per cent, when we decide to show it to you, it is a 100 per cent proof.' He alleged the Congress had discovered thousands of unauthorised voter entries for people aged 50, 60 and 65 in a single Karnataka constituency, alongside deletions of legitimate voters above 18. 'We just looked at one constituency and we found this. I am absolutely convinced that constituency after constituency this is the drama that is taking place,' Gandhi said, claiming similar manipulation was occurring during Bihar's SIR exercise. 'I want to send a message to the Election Commission: If you think you are going to get away with it, you are mistaken. We are going to come for you,' Gandhi warned. The CEC, in his remarks aimed generally at political criticism with respect to the exercise in Bihar, invoked constitutional principles, asking whether the Election Commission should 'get misled by some people' and 'pave the way for some to cast fake votes in the name of deceased voters, voters who have migrated permanently, voters who have got their votes registered at two places, fake voters or foreign voters, going against the Constitution, first in Bihar, then in the entire country.' 'The Constitution of India is the mother of Indian democracy,' Kumar stated, arguing that authentic voter lists prepared through transparent processes formed 'the foundation stone for fair elections and strong democracy.' 'Perhaps the most appropriate time for this essential thinking for all of you has now arrived in India,' he added, urging citizens to think beyond political ideologies. In a Thursday press note, the Commission revealed that 99% of Bihar's electors had been reached in the revision exercise, with forms from 72.1 million voters—91.32% of the total—already received and digitised. But BLOs and BLAs reported significant irregularities, the panel claimed. Nearly 2.2 million on the rolls were deceased, 3.2 million had migrated permanently, 700,000 registrations were duplicate and another 100,000 were untraceable voters. Despite door-to-door verification, roughly 700,000 electors were yet to submit their forms – the deadline for which was set for July 25. The Commission shared booth-level lists of problematic entries with all political parties on July 20, allowing claims and objections until September 1, 2025. The draft electoral roll will be published on August 1 and distributed to all 12 recognised parties in digital and printed formats. An ECI spokesperson dismissed Gandhi's Karnataka allegations as 'unwarranted' and 'baseless,' noting that Congress had filed no appeals with the District Magistrate or Chief Electoral Officer under Section 24 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. Of 10 election petitions filed in Karnataka, none came from losing Congress candidates despite available legal remedies under Section 80 of the RP Act, 1951. 'ECI is wondering as to why such baseless and threatening allegations are being made against the CEC—and that too now?' the spokesperson questioned. Kumar advised that if an election petition had been filed, Gandhi should 'wait for the verdict of Hon'ble High Court,' otherwise refrain from making 'baseless allegations.'


Hans India
23 minutes ago
- Hans India
Roundtable calls for agitation against smart power meters
Vijayawada: Secretary of the CPM NTR District Committee DV Krishna criticised the implementation of Adani's smart electricity meters, labelling them 'smart bombs' for consumers. He alleged that these actions are being carried out at the behest of both Central and State governments. During a roundtable conference held here on Thursday at Balotsava Bhavan in Governorpet, Krishna expressed grave concern that smart meters would significantly increase the burden of electricity charges on consumers. He warned the government to remember that the previous TDP government collapsed under the weight of excessive electricity charges in the undivided state, predicting that 'the TDP government will inevitably fall once again due to electricity smart meters.' Krishna pointed out that people in BJP-ruled Rajasthan have rejected Maruti meters, and a similar situation has arisen in Bengal. He highlighted instances in Andhra Pradesh, specifically in Anantapuram, Gudivada, Vijayawada, and Srikakulam, where consumers have already vandalised smart meters. He condemned the authorities for proceeding with meter installation despite widespread public opposition. G Koteswara Rao, City Secretary of CPI, echoed these concerns, stating that smart meters would impose massive burdens on the public. He explained that not only would charges increase, but consumers would also have to bear the monthly cost of the smart meters themselves. Koteswara Rao ridiculed the smart meters as an experiment designed to break the backs of consumers, through additional charges beyond unit consumption, such as fuel charges, duties, 'true up' charges, and maintenance charges. Padma, a city leader of New Democracy, called for strong opposition to smart meters, urging women, as household consumers, to lead this movement. Maridu Prasad Babu, a Red Flag leader, warned that another electricity agitation is inevitable, placing the blame squarely on the TDP government. He announced that the electricity movement would intensify on August 5. The roundtable conference concluded with several key decisions including to escalate the protest by conducting meetings in mandals and towns, distribute pamphlets, collect signatures, and conduct door-to-door campaigns until July 29, organise meetings, Padayatras, promotional activities, and Prabhat Pheris (morning rallies) from July 30 to August 4 and to stage protests and demonstrations at electricity sub-stations and government offices on August 5. A Venkateswara Rao (CITU District President), NCH Srinivasa Rao (CITU General Secretary), M Srinivas (Treasurer), NCH Supraja (Anganwadi Workers Union District General Secretary), and leaders including N Nageswara Rao, Y Subbarao, KR Anjaneyulu (AITUC City President), M Sambasiva Rao (AITUC General Secretary), KV Ramana (IFTU), M Muni Shankar (IFTU), Govindarajulu (AIYF), Durga (POW), and Durgamba (AIFW) participated.