‘War Against Indian State…’: PM’s “Urban Naxal” Jibe At Rahul Gandhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched an all-out attack on the Opposition in Lok Sabha this evening. Responding to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to President’s address on the eve of the Delhi election, he targeted the Opposition on multiple fronts – starting with Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party – and then went on to the Congress and Rahul Gandhi, with multiple references to the Constitution – which provided the thrust to the Congress attack since before the Lok Sabha election.  

Only the BJP and its allies “Understand the spirit of the Constitution and live by it,” PM Modi had said in his opening remarks on the Constitution and the Congress. 

“Some openly speak the language of Urban Naxals. Those who declare war against Indian state can’t understand the country’s constitution or democracy,” he said without naming Rahul Gandhi. 

The BJP has been using the “Urban Naxal” jibe at Rahul Gandhi over his backing to the student community and especially the students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University. But this time, Mr Gandhi’s comment that Chinese soldiers on Indian soil has had the BJP up in arms. Party leader Nishikant Dubey has filed a privilege motion against the Congress leader.

PM Modi also expanded his attack to wrap in the past Prime Ministers of then Nehru-Gandhi family. 

“Everyone can live for themselves but those who live for the constitution are sitting here. When power becomes dynasty, it ends democracy,” PM Modi said.

Refering to late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi — Rahul Gandhi’s father who was sometimes referred to as ‘Mr Clean’ – PM Modi said he had admitted that out of every rupee meant for them, the poor received only 25 paise, or less. 

Mr Modi claimed that in his administration, the poor were direct beneficiaries, thundering, “We deposited Rs 40 lakh crore directly.”

“In the last 10 years of (BJP rule), 25 crore people were able to overcome poverty. But, before this, for decades we heard ‘garibi hatao’ slogans, but couldn’t do it…” he said, “We didn’t give slogans to the poor… we gave real development. Till now, we have given four crore houses to the poor.”

Then, in another attack directed at Mr Gandhi, who had time and again produced a copy of the Constitution to target the BJP, he said, “Our constitution doesn’t teach us to discriminate… Those who roam around with constitution in their pockets never cared about Muslim women”.

Then he said people who resort to “photo sessions at the huts of the poor” will find a discussion about the deprived in parliament “boring”. 

This was part of the BJP’s renewed focus on the constitution after the Lok Sabha election, in which the Opposition claims that the ruling party was aiming to do away with BR Ambedkar’s constitution had given the Congress enough seats for it to gain the position of the Leader of the Opposition – a post that has gone to Mr Gandhi. 

PM Modi, though, said it was the government’s principle to uphold the constitution that had helped the Opposition at times.

“We have included Opposition leaders in meetings on the election commission. We do this because we believe in living the Constitution,” he said.