Manusmriti is their law, not Ambedkar's Constitution: Rahul Gandhi slams BJP in Lok Sabha

In a fiery speech during a Lok Sabha debate on the Constitution, Leader of the Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the Modi-led NDA government.

Gandhi criticised the government on multiple issues, including the Hathras gang rape, the Adani-Modi nexus, caste census and the reservation cap, asserting that the BJP was systematically dismantling the principles of equality and justice enshrined in the Constitution.

Opening his remarks, Gandhi cited RSS ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s views on Manusmriti to draw a parallel with the BJP’s ideological goals.

“The BJP doesn’t believe in the Constitution of Dr. Ambedkar; they want to impose Manusmriti on India,” Gandhi said, quoting Savarkar's description of Manusmriti as a sacred text foundational to Indian culture and society. “Today, Manusmriti is law for them,” he added.

Gandhi then invoked the Mahabharata’s story of Eklavya, who was forced to cut off his thumb at the demand of Guru Dronacharya. He used the tale as a metaphor to criticise the BJP government’s policies, accusing it of “chopping off the thumbs of Eklavyas” across India.

“When BJP hands over Dharavi to Adani, it is chopping off the thumbs of small businessmen. When ports and airports are gifted to him, you are cutting off the thumbs of honest businesses. This government is not enabling India’s youth or entrepreneurs, it is dismantling their opportunities,” Rahul Gandhi explained.

Turning his focus to the Hathras gang rape case, Gandhi condemned the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government for its alleged failure to provide justice and security to the victim’s family. “While the victim lives in constant fear, the perpetrators roam free. Yogi ji has lied to the family. If the state government does not relocate them to safety, the INDIA bloc will take responsibility for it,” he declared.

Rahul Gandhi also highlighted the recent violence in Sambhal, where five Muslim youth were killed, allegedly in police firing. He described the victims as innocent bystanders whose deaths violated the principles of equality and justice.

“These deaths are not just acts of violence; they are an attack on the soul of our Constitution,” Gandhi said, demanding accountability from the government.

In his critique of the government’s economic policies, Gandhi reiterated his accusation of crony capitalism, linking PM to industrialist Gautam Adani.

“When this government hands over the country's assets to Adani, then the thumbs of small and big industries and businessmen of this country are cut,” Gandhi said, questioning the government’s priorities.

Concluding his address, Gandhi asserted that the BJP’s actions were at odds with the ideals of the Constitution. “India stands at a crossroads today. Will we uphold the values of liberty, equality, and fraternity that Ambedkar envisioned, or will we bow down to the regressive ideology of Manusmriti? The BJP has made its choice; it’s now up to the people to make theirs,” he said.

When Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla pointed out that Rahul should speak on Constitution in this occasion, instead attacking Modi government, Rahul replied, "It is not written anywhere in the Constitution that there should be Monopoly, Paper Leaks and Agniveers in the country. It is not written anywhere in the Constitution that the thumbs of the youth of the country should be cut off or their skills should be taken away from them.

Gandhi’s impassioned speech drew sharp reactions from the BJP, with party members accusing him of distorting facts and maligning the government. However, for the Congress, it was a powerful reaffirmation of their narrative against the BJP's governance and ideology.