New Delhi: Thousands of Delhi Congress workers, under the leadership of Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Shri Subhash Chopra, held a “Save Constitution” dharna at the Ambedkar statue at Delhi Gate, opposite the Ambedkar Stadium, to protest against the attempt to violate Constitutional norms to foist undemocratic Governments in the States at the direction of the Modi Government at the Centre. Shri Chopra criticized the BJP Government for stooping too low to derive political mileage at the expense of the Constitution and democratic traditions, and for filing false cases against political opponents to put them under pressure.
Besides Shri Subhash Chopra, prominent others who sat on the dharna were former DPCC president Shri Jai Prakash Agarwal, ex-MPs Ramesh Kumar, Shri Parvez Hashmi, Mahabal Mishra, and Shri Kirti Azad, senior leader and chief spokesperson Shri Mukesh Sharma, AICC Secretary Manish Chatrath, Shri. Rajesh Lilothia, Shoeab Iqbal, Ch. Mateen Ahmed, Asif Mohammad Khan, Prof. Kiran Walia, Dr. Narender Nath, Anil Bhardwaj, Shaadi Ram, Surender Kumar, Mukesh Goel, Jitender Kochar Jeetu, Rinku, Mudit Agrawal, Khavinder Singh Captain, Indu, Alley Mohammad, Darshna Ram Kumar, Chief Organizer of Seva Dal, Sunil Kumar, Chairman of Minority Department Ali Mehndi, District President Hari Kishan Jindal, Virender Kasana, Vishnu Agarwal, Inderjit Singh, Dinesh Kumar Advocate, Rajesh Chauhan, Pradeep Sharma, Dr. Naresh Kumar, Rajat Makkar, Amit Malik, Ajit Yadav, Arunesh Sharma, Abdul Wahid. The Congress leaders first offered floral tribute at the statue of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar and took the pledge to “Save the Constitution” at any cost.
A large number of Congress workers started assembling at the Ambedkar Stadium since 11 am, including Congress workers from the Minority and Dalit communities, shouting anti-Modi Government slogans. A large number of women were also present. The Congress workers shouted slogans such as “Savidhan Ki Raksha Hamara Dharam Hai; Modi Sarkar Hai, Hai; Savidhan Ki Raksha Jo Kar Nahi Sake Wo Sarkar Nikamm Hai; Jo Sarkar Nikammi Hai, Wo Sarkar Badalni Hai”…etc.
Addressing the Congress workers sitting on dharna, Shri Subhash Chopra, lashing out at the Modi Government, said that the Modi Government was not only misusing the clauses in the Constitution to form undemocratic Governments in the States, but was also destroying the core values enunciated in the Constitution by Baba Saheb Ambedkar. He said that the foisting of BJP Governments in Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra, despite not getting peoples’ mandate, were the latest examples of the violation of Constitutional norms. Shri Chopra said that not only the common people were worried about the attempt to overturn Constitutional norms, but they are also very concerned that the Modi Government will betray them and deny them their right to voice their opinion in saving the Constitution.
Shri Subhash Chopra asserted that the Congress party will oppose with all its might the attempt by the Modi Government to misuse and destroy the core values of the Constitution for gaining political mileage by stooping to fourth grade politics. He said that the Congress party has always played principled politics without compromising on its stated policies and programmes, and has never violated constitutional norms to form a Government. Shri Chopra said that Governments come and go, but the protection of the Constitution of the country was of paramount importance to strengthen democratic institutions in the country.
Shri Jai Prakash Agarwal said that the BJP was playing low-level politics to capture power. He said that the Modi Government was misusing the Constitution to suit its own convenience and meet its political ends, which cannot be tolerated. He said that the Congress party has always upheld democratic traditions very high to form Governments, and never violated Constitutional norms, to come to power.
Shri Kirti Azad and Shri Mukesh Sharma said that the Modi Government was trying to destroy the core values of the Constitution, which the country will never accept. They warned that the Congress was prepared to go through any type of sacrifice to save the Constitution. Both Shri Kirti Azad and Shri Mukesh Sharma appealed to the Congress workers to enlighten people in their areas about the BJP Government’s attempt to undermine the Constitution and destroy democratic values to capture political power. Shri Azad said that the principles enshrined in the Constitution should be used to bring benefits to the people and not for the purpose of gaining cheap political mileage. He said that the Modi Government was using the Constitution as a plank to extend benefits its friends in an un-democratic manner, which was not a good omen for the country.
Ex-MPs Shri Ramesh Kumar and Shri Mahabal Mishra said that the Congress party will not allow the misuse of the Constitution for gaining political mileage. They slammed the Modi Government for misusing power to file cases against Opposition leaders and bring pressure on them to throttle their voices.