Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi feels the "red book" of the Constitution is blank as he has never read it.
Addressing a rally in Maharashtra's Nandurbar, Gandhi said the Constitution contains the soul of India and the principles envisaged by national icons like Birsa Munda, Dr B R Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi.
"The BJP has objections to the red colour of the book (which Gandhi has been displaying in rallies). But we don't care about whether the colour is red or blue. We are committed to preserve it (Constitution) and ready to lay down our lives too for it. Modi ji feels the Constitution (book) I carry is blank because he has no idea what it contains. He has not read it in his life," Gandhi said.
"But Modiji, this book is not empty. It has the soul and knowledge of India. It contains principles envisaged by national icons like Birsa Munda, Buddha, Mahatma Phule, Dr Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi. If you call the book empty, you insult these icons,'' he said.
Congress wants adivasis, Dalits and backward classes to get representation in decision-making, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha said.
Notably, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in their campaign for the November 20 Maharashtra assembly polls, have sought to link the "red book" displayed by Gandhi to "urban Naxalism".
Gandhi alleged that PM Modi and the BJP were insulting the national icons by making such comments.
The BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) insult tribals by referring to them as "vanvasi" instead of adivasi, he charged.
"Adivasis are the first owners of the country and have the first right on jal (water), jungle (forest) and zameen (land). But the BJP wants adivasis to remain in the jungle without any rights. Birsa Munda fought for this and laid down his life,'' Gandhi said.
Highlighting the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)'s manifesto, Gandhi said women, farmers and youth will be protected with provisions like Rs 3,000 monthly assistance and free bus travel, farm loan waiver up to Rs 3 lakh and Rs 4,000 per month assistance for unemployed youth.
He reiterated the demand for a caste census, saying it will help ascertain the number of adivasis, Dalits and backward classes in Maharashtra and their share in resources.
At present, out of the eight per cent tribal population, their share in decision-making is only one per cent, Gandhi claimed.
He also alleged that five lakh jobs from Maharashtra have been snatched as various big ticket projects have been shifted to other states.
"Our government will not allow this. Projects meant for Maharashtra will remain here while those meant for Gujarat will stay there,'' he said.
A Vedanta-Foxconn semiconductor project, manufacturing units of Tata-Airbus and iPhone companies, a drug park and a petrochemical plant were taken out of the state, Gandhi charged.
Of the 90 officers who run the government, only one is from the adivasi community, he claimed.
"Of the Rs 100 to be disbursed for expenditure by these 90 officers, the adivasi officer takes a decision of only 10 paise. For every 100 persons, there are eight adivasis, while your participation is 10 paise out of Rs 100. The adivasi officer is not allotted good departments. We have to change this," the Congress leader said.
He sought to know the number of Dalits, adivasis, backward classes members working in media houses and top companies.
"There are several tribal workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme. My goal is to ensure that people from backward communities, tribals and Dalits get their rightful participation in the power structure and decision-making," he said.
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