Ahead of Jan 27 rally, MP CM, Vijayvargiya attack Cong over Constitution, Ambedkar

Bhopal/ Indore, Jan 23 (PTI) The Madhya Pradesh BJP on Thursday launched a strident attack on the Congress over the latter's 'Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan' campaign set to be launched on January 27 from Mhow, the birth place of Babasaheb Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Constitution.

While MP Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said the Congress was a "hypocritical" party that was invoking the legacy of Ambedkar after insulting and ignoring him while he was alive, state minister Kailash Vijayvargiya said Rahul Gandhi must do "101 sit-ups" in Mhow for insulting the Constitution.

Ambedkar, revered as a social reformer and a peerless jurist, was born in Mhow in Indore district on April 14, 1891.

While the BJP had planned to get top leaders like Union Minister Amit Shah and party president JP Nadda to address rallies ahead of the Congress' campaign, sources said the reworked plan involves bringing them after the opposition party's event.

Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge are scheduled to take part in the 'Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan' launch event on January 27.

Speaking in Bhopal, Yadav slammed the Congress for ignoring the contributions of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, whose birth anniversary was observed during the day, and Babasaheb Ambedkar.

"However, like hypocrites, the party wants to take out a 'yatra' from Mhow," he said.

Yadav was speaking after inaugurating Bhopal's longest flyover, at 2534 metres, built at a cost of Rs 153 crore, which he said would be called Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Setu.

In Indore, Vijayvargiya accused the Congress of murdering the Constitution during its reign and sought an apology from Rahul Gandhi.

"We consider the Constitution as holy as scriptures like Ramcharit Manas, Bhagwad Gita and Ved-Puran and carry it on our heads. However, for him, (Rahul Gandhi) the Constitution is a book to be kept in the pocket," Vijayvargiya said.

It is not their fault since they have been brought up in such a way, he said further attacking the Congress leader.

"Those who are wandering around with the Constitution in their pockets are insulting the Constitution. I will tell that young man (Rahul Gandhi) that if he is going to Mhow, he should apologise by doing 101 sit-ups in front of Ambedkar (statue)," Vijayvargiya said.

Gandhi carries a copy of the Constitution at his public rallies while accusing the BJP of trying to make changes to the apex document.

Previous Congress governments "murdered" the Constitution by imposing Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, imposing Emergency and carrying out anti-Sikh riots following the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1984, Vijayvargiya claimed.

The Gandhi family worked to defeat Ambedkar to ensure he does not reach Parliament, the MP minister added.

"In part three of the original copy of the Constitution drafted by Ambedkar, there is a picture of Lord Ram, Laxman and Sita. I want to ask that young man (Rahul Gandhi) if these pictures are there in the copy that he carries with him," Vijayvargiya asked.

Speaking in Bhopal, Yadav said Ambedkar opposed Article 370 (that gave Jammu-Kashmir special status) but first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru went ahead and implemented it.

"Babasaheb Ambedkar was not given desired departments, nor any honour while he was alive. The Congress must first give an account of its sins. It must look within. The man who defeated Ambedkar in polls was given the Padma Vibhushan by the Congress," Yadav pointed out.

The BJP worked to develop places associated with Babasaheb Ambedkar into pilgrimage sites, he said, adding the Union government has ensured several of these are now part of the 'Panchtirtha' circuit.

Meanwhile, speaking about the January 27 event, MP Congress Vichar Vibhag chief Bhupendra Gupta said state unit chief Jitu Patwari and others were working unitedly to make it a grand success. PTI MAS HWP LAL BNM