Congress Leaders Sound Alarm on Threats to Constitution at National Conclave

In a fiery show of unity and ideological resolve, top Congress leaders – including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, and CPP Chairperson Sonia Gandhi – launched a scathing attack on the Narendra Modi-led BJP government, accusing it of systematically dismantling India’s constitutional fabric and democratic institutions.

The event, titled “Constitutional Challenges: Perspectives and Pathways”, organized by the AICC’s Legal, Human Rights and RTI Department, brought together senior Congress leadership, state Chief Ministers, legal luminaries, and party workers at Vigyan Bhawan.

Kharge: "Our Constitution is Under Attack"

Addressing the gathering, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that the BJP-RSS leadership harboured intentions to fundamentally alter the Constitution. He claimed that had the BJP secured a two-thirds majority in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, they would have moved to drop the words “secular” and “socialist” from the Preamble.

“This Constitution is not just a legal document—it is the soul of our democracy,” said Kharge. “If anyone saved the Constitution, it was Rahul Gandhi and the people of this country who delivered a resounding message to the ‘400 paar’ campaigners.”

Kharge pointed to efforts by the ruling regime to suppress dissent through manipulated electoral rolls, judicial interference, and selective use of investigative agencies. Citing recent reports, he claimed that over 65 lakh voters in Bihar alone were removed from voter lists, disproportionately affecting Dalits, minorities, and the poor.

“Today, the Election Commission behaves more like a puppet of the ruling dispensation than a neutral constitutional authority,” he said, accusing the Modi government of orchestrating a “coordinated attack on voting rights, federalism, and institutional autonomy.”

Rahul Gandhi: "We Now Have Irrefutable Proof of Electoral Fraud"

In an impassioned and candid speech, Rahul Gandhi alleged large-scale electoral manipulation in recent elections, claiming the Congress now possesses concrete proof. “In one constituency alone, out of 6.5 lakh votes, 1.5 lakh were found to be fake,” he revealed. “What we have discovered will shake the electoral system—it is like an atom bomb.”

Gandhi accused the Election Commission of deliberately withholding electronic voter lists and using unscannable paper formats to hinder scrutiny. He said such tactics were part of a broader assault on India’s democratic architecture, and he vowed to expose it publicly in the coming days.

"This isn’t just about stealing elections—this is about stealing India’s soul," he said, holding up a copy of the Constitution. "This book is not from 1950—it carries the legacy of thousands of years of our philosophical, cultural, and spiritual history. Buddha, Basavanna, Ambedkar, Kabir—they all speak through this."

He called on the legal fraternity to act as the Constitution’s first line of defense, proposing a “Legal Time Bank” that would provide pro bono support to victims of political persecution across India.

Gandhi also took personal swipes at the BJP leadership, recalling threats from former Union Minister Arun Jaitley during the farmers’ protests and condemning the ruling party’s “cowardly” suppression of dissent. “We in the Congress are not afraid of fire—we walk into it. We are not cowards,” he declared.

Sonia Gandhi: "This is an Ideological Coup"

Though not physically present, CPP Chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s special message, read by senior leader Salman Khurshid, struck a deeply ideological tone. She accused the BJP-RSS of pursuing a “theocratic corporate state” and condemned attempts to erase foundational constitutional values like socialism and secularism.

“The BJP-RSS never fought for freedom, and today they are undoing the framework they once opposed,” her message read. “Their ideological ancestors praised Manusmriti and rejected the tricolour. This is not reform—it is a coup.”

Sonia Gandhi credited the Congress with envisioning and actualizing the Constitution—from the Nehru Report in 1928 to the framing by Dr. Ambedkar. She urged party workers to resist the current “ideological subversion” in courts, Parliament, and the streets.

A Call to Action

Both Kharge and Gandhi emphasized the need to unite India’s legal minds to resist the perceived constitutional backsliding. Kharge urged lawyers to assist Congress workers facing false cases and state-sponsored harassment in BJP-ruled states. Gandhi, echoing this, likened lawyers’ time to “21st century blood,” essential to defend democracy.

The conclave marked a renewed assertion of the Congress party’s historical legacy in defending constitutional values. With both a warning and a battle cry, the leadership presented itself as the bulwark against what it described as an emerging autocracy threatening India’s pluralistic foundation.

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