Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram launched a scathing critique against the BJP in response to controversial remarks made by BJP MP Anantkumar Hegde regarding potential amendments to the Constitution. Chidambaram’s statements underscored deep concerns over the BJP’s alleged long-standing agenda to reshape India’s socio-political landscape.
Amidst escalating tensions, Chidambaram rebuked the BJP’s aspirations to amend the Constitution, asserting that the party’s intentions were far from clandestine. He accused the BJP of harboring ambitions to transform India into a Hindu Rashtra and enforce Hindi as the sole official language, allegations stemming from Hegde’s recent statements.
Hegde’s declaration that a two-thirds majority in both houses of Parliament would be necessary to rectify purported “distortions and unnecessary additions” in the Constitution prompted Chidambaram to condemn the BJP’s agenda as an “old ploy.” He highlighted how Hegde’s remarks, although quickly retracted, aimed to invigorate the RSS-BJP cadre and reinforce the notion of amending the Constitution.
According to Chidambaram, allowing the RSS-BJP agenda to dictate constitutional amendments would threaten parliamentary democracy, federalism, minority rights, and the status of English as one of India’s official languages.
The Congress leader’s sentiments were echoed by Jairam Ramesh and Rahul Gandhi, who accused Hegde of vocalizing the BJP and RSS’s longstanding ambitions to dismantle the Constitution. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge further condemned the BJP and RSS for allegedly attempting to “re-write and destroy” the foundational values enshrined in the Constitution.
Amid mounting criticism, the BJP distanced itself from Hegde’s remarks, emphasizing that his views did not align with the party’s stance. The BJP announced intentions to seek clarification from the Karnataka MP regarding his controversial statement.
As the political discourse intensifies, Chidambaram’s scathing rebuke underscores broader apprehensions within the opposition regarding the BJP’s alleged agenda to reshape India’s constitutional framework.