Constitution is 'blank' for Modi because he never read it: Rahul
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Nanded/Maharashtra: Narendra Modi thinks that the Constitution of India is “blank” because he has never read it, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Thursday. He said that if the Prime Minister had read the country’s fundamental document, he would have pursued different policies, PTI reported.
Addressing election rallies at Maharashtra’s Nandurbar, Rahul said, "The prime minister says I show a blank Constitution. The Constitution is blank for him because he has never read it in his life. He has no idea what is written in it."
In Nanded, Rahul said that the Constitution does not teach discrimination.
He said, "If Modi had read the Constitution, he would not have behaved the way he does. Modi waives loans of Rs 16 lakh crore of 25 rich people but not those of the poor and farmers," he added.
Gandhi's retort came after Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party claimed that the Congress leader was showing a copy of the Constitution with blank pages inside at his campaign rallies.
As to BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis questioning the red cover of the Constitution shown by Gandhi at his rallies and connecting it to "urban Naxals", Gandhi said, "It does not matter what colour is the Constitution, whether red or blue, what matters is what is written inside and we are committed to defend and protect it even at the cost of our life."
He reminded that when the Constitution refers to tribals as Adivasis, which means original owners of land, forests and other resources, the BJP deliberately describes them as 'Vanvasis' or forest-dwellers. He added that the BJP does not want tribal children to study and become doctors or engineers but confined to forests.
Assembly elections are to start in Maharashtra on November 20. In Nanded, the Congress leader was also campaigning ahead of the Lok Sabha byelection, necessitated by the death of sitting Congress MP Vasant Chavan. The Congress has fielded his son Ravindra Chavan, while the BJP has fielded Santuk Hambarde.