Sambidhan Bachao’ rally an attempt to save Congress, not Constitution: Odisha BJP

Bhubaneswar, July 11 (UNI) The Odisha unit of the BJP today launched a scathing attack on the Congress, claiming that its “Sambidhan Bachao” (Save the Constitution) rally in Bhubaneswar was not a sincere effort to defend constitutional values but rather a desperate move to salvage its waning political relevance.

Addressing a press conference, BJP Vice President Biranchi Tripathy accused the Congress of consistently undermining democratic values and disrespecting the Constitution throughout its history.

“The Congress party is not trying to save the Constitution; it is trying to save its own existence,” Tripathy said, pointing to the party’s declining political influence across the country.

He alleged that the Congress has lost touch with the people of Odisha, citing a consistent decline in its vote share in successive elections. “In the last three general elections, the number of Congress MPs hasn’t even crossed the 100 mark,” he remarked.

Tripathy criticised Congress leaders for speaking about democratic values, saying, “It is like throwing stones while living in a glass house.”
He also accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of disrespecting the Constitution, referring to an incident where Gandhi allegedly tore up a cabinet decision during a press conference, despite not holding any ministerial position.

“It is shameful for someone like Rahul Gandhi to talk about the Constitution. He must first explain what authority he had to do that,” the BJP leader stated.

Tripathy further targeted Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, accusing him of insulting President Droupadi Murmu, a tribal leader from Odisha and the first tribal woman to hold the country’s highest constitutional post.

He also claimed Kharge had made disparaging remarks against former President Ram Nath Kovind.

Calling for an apology from both Rahul Gandhi and Kharge, Tripathy said the people of Odisha deserved respect, not insults.

The BJP leader also took a swipe at the Congress’s internal structure, calling it a “family-run party” since independence.

“During Nehru’s time, it was a party of father and daughter. Then it became a party of mother and son under Indira Gandhi. During Rajiv Gandhi’s era, it was a husband and wife. Now, it’s a party of mother, son, daughter, and son-in-law,” he remarked.

Tripathy pointed to several historical events which, according to him, showed the Congress’s disregard for constitutional values.

In 1951, the Nehru government passed the First Constitutional Amendment to serve its political interests, impacting the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression
In 1975, Indira Gandhi declared the Emergency and amended the Constitution five times, including the 42nd Amendment, which he said drastically changed the Constitution’s character and curtailed civil The Congress, Tripatjy said, had misused Article 356 over 100 times to dismiss democratically elected state governments.

On the Kashmir issue, the BJP leader alleged that although Maharaja Hari Singh had signed the Instrument of Accession with India, the Congress struck a separate deal with Sheikh Abdullah, leading to the controversial enactment of Articles 370 and 35(A) and leaving Kashmir unresolved for decades.

Tripathy concluded by saying the Congress should examine its own history before claiming to safeguard the Constitution.