Rahul Gandhi Accuses BJP of Attacking India's Constitution

Addressing an election rally in Sonipat’s Gohana as a part of the Vijay Sankalp Yatra, Mr Gandhi said the wave in favour of the Congress in Haryana is turning into a storm. “The fight in the election is between the BJP and the Congress. People will reject the BJP’s B- and C-teams and the Independents. The BJP and the RSS do not have the strength to stand in front of the Congress party.”

Holding a copy of the Constitution in his hand, Mr Gandhi said, “The BJP continues to attack the Constitution by depriving the Dalits, farmers and backward classes.”

“When the RSS put their own people in the country's institutions and do not give any place to the Dalits, backwards, tribals, poor, they are attacking the Constitution. When Mr Modi helps people like Adani and Ambani and destroys the employment system of the country, they are attacking the Constitution,” he alleged.

“If you have to understand the difference between the BJP and the Congress... I will make you understand in simple terms -- woh isko khatam karte hai, hum iski raksha karte hai (they finish it, we protect it)," said Mr Gandhi, showing the copy of the Constitution to the gathering.

If Haryana has “topped” in unemployment and crime rate, it was because of the “hatred” which the BJP spreads, he alleged.

Attacking the BJP-led government over the issue of the Agnipath scheme, Mr Gandhi alleged, “The military recruitment programme is a way to ‘steal’ a soldier's pension, canteen facilities and martyr status he gets (when he lays down life for his motherland). The motive behind "stealing" Jawans' pension is to hand over the Defence Budget to Adani. On one side the pension is snatched and on the other side the same money goes into Adani's pocket.”

The Congress leader claimed: “Earlier, there used to be public sector, government factories...these have been privatised. A company owned by Adani is putting its labels on weapons that were manufactured by foreign companies. Mr Modi only wanted to give a defence contract to Adani,” he charged.

Breaking his silence over the factionalism within the Haryana Congress unit, Mr Gandhi said, "The Congress has many lions. No one can stand in front of them. Sometimes our lions fight among themselves, but I unite everyone again."

Raising the issues of drug menace in the state, Mr Gandhi said, “I want to ask Modi Ji when thousands of kilos of heroin were seized from your friend Adani's Mundra port, what action did you take? How many did you send to jails for this?”

Targeting the BJP over unemployment, the Congress scion claimed that the Haryana youths are going to the US adopting illegal routes after spending a huge sum of money in search of a better future because they are unable to get employment opportunities in their home state.

Whatever avenues of employment you had, they have been shut," he said. "Earlier, small and medium businesses used to generate employment in Haryana, these have been shut down," he said.

"While en route to this place, a man stopped me. He told me he runs a small business. He said Mr Modi and the Haryana government destroyed him to help Adani and Ambani,” Mr Gandhi said as he blamed demonetisation and GST.

“Everyone knows that the Central and Haryana governments are being run to help two-three arabpatis (billionaires). Whatever avenues of employment you had, they have been shut,” he alleged.