Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday spent more than half of his 100-minute speech in the Lok Sabha doing what he likes best: bash the Nehru-Gandhis.

Replying to the discussion on the Constitution’s “glorious 75 years’ journey”, Modi accused members of the family of having committed the “paap” (sin) of messing with the Constitution.

He picked on the Nehru-Gandhis one by one, appearing to compare them to predators: “Khoon mooh pe lag gaya, samay samay par samvidhan ka shikar kiya (Having tasted blood, they hunted down the Constitution from time to time).”

Congress members were heard saying the Prime Minister was repeating what he had said many times. “One nation, one bhashan (lecture),” an MP said, taking a dig at Modi’s pet “one nation, one election” project.

Congress MP and Nehru-Gandhi scion Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had in her maiden speech in Parliament on Friday asked the BJP to stop its constant sniping at her family, saying: “Talk about the present.”

As the Congress benches protested Modi’s comments, he said the party had amended the Constitution 75 times.

He castigated the first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, for the first amendment in 1951, terming it an “assault on the freedom of expression”.

He said the Nehru-led interim government formed after Independence was a “selected” one as no elections had been held.

“Despite not having the people’s mandate, in 1951, Nehru brought an ordinance and changed the Constitution. The amendment was an assault on the freedom of expression,” he said.

Modi alleged that Nehru had committed the “sin” disregarding warnings from the then President, Rajendra Prasad, and the then Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

“The seed planted by the first PM was nurtured by the next generation, (represented by) Indira Gandhi. Khoon jo mooh lag gaya tha (For she had tasted blood),” he said, mentioning the constitutional amendments effected by Indira.

He then referred to her imposition of the Emergency in 1975 and its excesses.

“The Congress can’t wipe off this sin. Whenever a discussion on the Constitution takes place, we will always talk about the Emergency. Democracy was throttled,” he said.

“The family tradition of trampling on the Constitution did not stop here,” Modi added, training his gun at former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

He invoked the Shah Bano case: “Instead of helping a hapless woman fighting for justice, Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed the spirit of the Constitution to please the fanatics for vote bank politics.”

Modi repeated the “having tasted blood” theme, this time his main target being Sonia Gandhi, whose UPA-era National Advisory Council he condemned as an extra-constitutional body.

“Then PM Manmohan Singh himself had said, ‘I have to accept that the party president (Sonia) is the centre of power’,” Modi said, terming the arrangement a first-of-its-kind “assault on the Constitution”.

“The NAC was over and above the Prime Minister’s Office,” he said.

Modi then hit out at the present generation, criticising leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who was seated just across the floor.

Rahul had entered the House nearly 30 minutes after Modi had begun speaking. He walked in just as the Prime Minister had begun attacking Nehru.

“One arrogant member of the family tore a decision of the Union cabinet in front of the media,” he said, referring to Rahul’s trashing of a 2013 ordinance of the UPA government that was aimed at saving convicted lawmakers from disqualification.

Describing how the UPA government had changed its decision under pressure from Rahul, Modi said: “This family has messed with the Constitution at every opportunity.”

He accused the Nehru-Gandhis of not even following their party’s constitution.

“Had they followed the Congress constitution, then the first PM of the country would have been Sardar (Vallabhbhai) Patel and not Nehru,” he said.

He claimed that 12 state units of the Congress had supported Patel.

“A party that doesn’t follow its own constitution is claiming to save the Constitution of India. It’s laughable,” Modi said, ignoring protests from the Congress benches.

Modi then patted his own back, claiming the amendments effected by his government were aimed at “strengthening the unity of the country” and achieving a “Viksit Bharat”.

He cited the removal of Article 370, the grant of constitutional status to the OBC commission, and the passage of the women’s reservation bill as examples of his constructive amendments.

Modi stressed his devotion to the Constitution by recalling that to mark the 60th year of the adoption of the document, he had as Gujarat chief minister undertaken a “Samvidhan Samman Yatra” or Respect for Constitution March.

“In a historic first, the granth (book) of the Constitution was mounted on an elephant-backed palanquin, and a symbolic procession was held. I humbly walked alongside, emphasising the Constitution’s significance to our nation,” he said.

Modi obliquely countered the Congress’s push for a caste census and the raising of the 50 per cent ceiling for caste quotas, accusing the Nehru-Gandhis of opposing reservations.

“From Nehruji to Rajiv Gandhi, Congress PMs have strongly opposed reservation. History says that Nehruji wrote long letters to CMs opposing reservation…. The Mandal Commission report was kept in the box for decades,” Modi said.

He urged the House to take 11 vows. Apart from his dream of a “developed India” by 2047 and the stress on duties above rights, here too his target was “the family”.

“In the 75th year of the Constitution, we have to take a vow to end parivar tantra (dynasty rule). Our democracy cannot be hijacked by one family,” he said as BJP members thumped their desks.