"Four generations of Gandhi family insulted Indian Constitution": PM Modi slams Congress

Puri (Odisha) [India], May 20 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi sharpened his attack against the Congress party and the Gandhi family over amending the Constitution during their tenure, saying that the four generations of the Congress family have insulted the Indian Constitution from time to time.
Prime Minister Modi said that four members of the Gandhi family, including former Prime Ministers Jawahar Lal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi fiddled with the Constitution for their own political goals.
In an interview with DD News on the Opposition claims that the Constitution will be rewritten if the BJP is voted to power, PM Modi said, "The first one to play with the Constitution is this family. Pandit Nehru did. He brought the First Amendment, which was meant to restrict freedom of speech. His daughter (Indira Gandhi) then overturned the court verdict by bringing an amendment. She imposed 'emergency' to save her post. Then her son (Rajiv Gandhi), came and overturned Shah Bano's verdict. He changed the Constitution. He brought a law to restrict media."
He further slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for tearing apart a copy of the ordinance, which was passed by the Union Cabinet in 2013. The ordinance was later withdrawn by the Manmohan Singh-led government.
"Then his son (Rahul Gandhi) came. A cabinet formed as per the Constitution took a decision, and a 'Shehzada' came and publicly tore apart the cabinet decision. Later, the Cabinet also overturned its decision," PM Modi said.
"I have the utmost respect for Babasaheb Ambedkar and the honourable members of the Constituent Assembly who formulated such a Constitution, which gave a chance to a tea-seller to become the Prime Minister. This is the power of our democracy. For me, the Constitution is the greatest scripture for governing. I have been celebrating the Indian Constitution for a long time," he added.
The Prime Minister further said that, unlike other politicians who are lost in power, position and prestige, he believes that his post is a responsibility.
"Most politicians are lost in power, position and prestige; I am far away from that. I believe that a post is a responsibility; it is not for prestige but for spending one's life," he said.
PM Modi also termed the women's power in the country and the eastern part of India as two decisive factors for India's trajectory in the coming 25 years.
"I see two decisive factors for India's trajectory in the coming 25 years. The first is the eastern part of India, like Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Bengal and eastern Uttar Pradesh, which will become the growth engine of the country. The second is the women's power of our country and the way their potential is coming to the fore. When I say that I will create 3 crore Lakhpati Didis, I believe that I just have to provide opportunities and the village sisters will become Lakhpati Didis," the Prime Minister said.
"The love and support I receive from people overwhelms me. It's very rare for a politician to receive the blessings of the masses. Today, the potential of India's Nari Shakti is ever-increasing. They are motivated to become Lakhpati Didis. Women have the potential to completely transform an economy," he added.
Hitting out at the opposition, Prime Minister Modi said that the fourth phase of the elections have made it clear that the INDI Alliance has completely collapsed.
"The INDI Alliance has completely collapsed in the 4th phase of elections. The phases that have started now are giving us the strength to cross 400. Even today, I would ask voters to vote in large numbers, vote to their heart's content, and vote for the country. We are becoming even more certain that, in the next phases, we will achieve our target of 400+ seats," PM Modi said.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi also held a roadshow in the holy city of Puri. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Puri Sambit Patra was also seen participating in the roadshow along with him.
Patra had lost the election in 2019 to Pinaki Mishra of the BJD. This time he faces Congress' Jaya Narayan Patnayak and BJD's Arup Patnaik.
The Prime Minister is on a day-long visit to Odisha and West Bengal on Monday. He is slated to hold two public meetings at Dhenkanal and Cuttack in Odisha and Tamluk and Jhargram in West Bengal later in the day.
Voting for the fifth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections 2024 began on Monday morning across 49 parliamentary constituencies spread over six states and two Union Territories (UTs) amid tight security and arrangements.
The Lok Sabha elections are being held across seven phases, from April 19 to June 1. The counting is scheduled for June 4.
The Narendra Modi-led BJP is seeking a third term in power, while the opposition INDIA bloc is aiming to wrest power by stopping the juggernaut.