Rahul Gandhi came under fire Thursday after he displayed the red book of the Constitution of India at an event in Nagpur, Maharashtra. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, a prominent BJP leader, accused Rahul Gandhi of appealing to "urban Naxals and anarchists" by displaying "a red book" at a campaign event. Congress hit back at the BJP, with party leader Jairam Ramesh saying, "This book, which Mr. Fadnavis is taking objection to, is the Constitution of India, of which Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar was the main architect."
Ramesh further said, "This is the very same Constitution of India which the RSS… had attacked in 1949… for not having been inspired by the Manusmriti."
Ramesh shared photos showing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah holding red-bound copies of the Constitution.
To counter the term "urban Naxal" used by Fadnavis, Ramesh referenced a Union Home Ministry statement from March 2020 that clarified the government does not officially use the term. He criticized, "Mr. Fadnavis should think first and then speak."
Earlier, Mr. Fadnavis told reporters, "My allegations about Rahul Gandhi… proved to be true about his inclination towards urban naxals. He showed the 'red book' and tried to seek help (politically) from urban naxals… What message could Rahul Gandhi have wanted to give…?"
Other BJP leaders also joined in. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused the Congress of "fake drama," alleging that the red book Rahul Gandhi displayed was actually a blank notebook designed to resemble a copy of the Constitution. The BJP’s Maharashtra unit even shared a video claiming it showed blank notebooks, bound in red, distributed at Mr. Gandhi's event.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar clarified that a notebook and pen were given to attendees. The debate over the Constitution reflects one of the Congress' key themes for the upcoming elections, urging voters to support the INDIA bloc to prevent the BJP from altering the Constitution and to "save democracy."
In response, BJP Maharashtra spokesperson Keshava Upadhye declared, "Support to Congress means killing Constitution."
This controversy was sparked by Mr. Gandhi's speech at a Nagpur convention, where he waved a copy of the Constitution, claiming that “…the thoughts behind it are 1,000 years old…” and accused the BJP and RSS of undermining its values.
With the Maharashtra election approaching, both parties are gearing up for a fierce showdown. This election follows closely after BJP's victory over Congress in Haryana, a result Congress contested due to alleged Election Commission issues.
Notably, this isn’t the first time the 'red book' issue has come up. Earlier in May, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Sarma claimed that Mr. Gandhi’s red book resembled the Chinese constitution. This was debunked, confirming Mr. Gandhi held a copy of the Indian Constitution.