AMN /
NEW DELHI: Leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, Thursday said in Parliament that “any attempt to review the Constitution could result in grave consequences.”
His exact words — a reference to a retaliation — were expunged after Parliamentary Affairs minister Venkaiah Naidu strongly objected and called it an attempt to “threaten” the government.
Mr Kharge was taking part in the debate – on Commitment to the Constitution — and tried to defend his party’s record in “protecting the spirit of the Constitution” .
But through his speech, he kept targeting the Prime Minister. “Today, it’s a record that the Prime Minister who came in the morning is still sitting here,” he said.
Mr Kharge said when people express their views on intolerance, the ruling party members tell them to go to Pakistan, “but the Prime Minister prefers to stay silent”.
He also said it was not right on part of Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who initiated the debate, to object to the introduction of the words “secular” and “socialist” in the Preamble.
The government response to Mr Kharge came in the form of a stinging attack by Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot.
“The BJP government in Madhya Pradesh built a memorial in the name of Ambedkar… The VP Singh government conferred Bharat Ratna on him on the recommendation of AB Vajpayee. Why didn’t the Congress do all this?” asked Mr Gehlot, adding, “because the Congress was interested only in one family.”