New Delhi: Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi Saturday said the Constitution is a weapon but it is meaningless without institutions, which he alleged have been captured by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
He also hit out at Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati, saying she did not respond to the Congress’s offer to contest the Uttar Pradesh polls together, even though she was offered the chief minister’s post.
Gandhi said though he was born in power, he was not interested in it, unlike many politicians in the country who are only interested in grabbing power and who keep thinking about it day and night.
He said the country has given him a lot, but has also “beaten me up, using violence”.
Releasing a book, titled “The Dalit Truth” and published by Samruddh Bharat Foundation, on the battles of Dalits and for realising B R Ambedkar’s vision, Gandhi exhorted Dalits to fight for their rights by treading the path shown by Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi.
“The Constitution is the weapon of India, but it has no meaning without institutions. We talk of protecting the Constitution, but how is the Constitution implemented? With institutions. All institutions are in the hands of the RSS,” he alleged.
Noting that if institutions are not controlled by people, neither is the country, the Congress leader said, “This is not a new assault. It started the day when Mahatma Gandhi was killed with bullets.”
He said Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution, gave the weapon to people, “but today, that weapon has no meaning” as the media is being controlled and a spyware (Pegasus) is being used to control political leaders.
Gandhi said he would not have been able to speak up against the government had he taken any money and alleged that the CBI and the ED control the political system.
Taking on the BSP chief, he said, “We gave a message to Mayawati to form an alliance and asked her to become the chief minister. She did not even talk to us.”
“But Mayawatiji is saying that I will not fight for it…. She gave a clear passage to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Why? (Because of) the CBI, the ED and Pegasus,” he said, adding that he had respect for Kanshi Ram for articulating the Dalit voice of Uttar Pradesh, due to which the Congress had suffered.
“Congress and Dr. Ambedkar gave India a weapon – our Constitution. But RSS’s capture of institutions has undermined it. Dalits, Minorities, Adivasis and other weaker sections pay the price of this subversion. Our fight back must follow the path shown by Bapu, Nehru ji and Babasaheb,” Gandhi later said in a tweet.
The former Congress chief said people can only fight till the time they speak up or else, institutions will continue to be used and controlled and the Constitution will not be followed.
“This is the reality of India. And when the Constitution becomes defunct, the weak are the worst affected — Dalits, minorities, tribals, unemployed, small farmers and the poor,” he said.
Pointing to the state of the country’s economy, Gandhi said, “This is the time to fight.”
He said Ambedkar and Gandhi had shown that “there is a path, but you need to tread on it. There is a way, but you need to tread that path”.
“There are politicians in this country who are only interested in power and that is the only thing they are searching for. They go to sleep and wake up only thinking how they can get power. India is full of such politicians,” he said while taking a dig at politicians who do not speak out against the BJP government.
Gandhi said since he has not taken a single rupee from anyone, he can fearlessly speak out.
Talking about himself, the Congress leader said, “This country has not just given me love, but has also beaten me up. You cannot understand how strongly this country has beaten me up and used violence. I wondered why is this happening and I got the answer that the country wants to teach me. The country is telling me to learn and understand.”
Gandhi said even though he was born in power, he has no love for it, adding that he is indebted to the people of the country for the love they have showered on him.
He said Dalits have been a subject of interest for him ever since his student days in London and he always wondered why India is the only country where people practise untouchability and humans fear touching humans even though they can touch dogs.
PTI