New Delhi : Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday called the Constitution the book of "truth and non-violence" which contains the ideas of social empowerment of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, social reformer Jyotirao Phule, Lord Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi.
"The idea of social empowerment of Dr Ambedkar, Jyotirao Phule, Lord Buddha and Gandhi ji is inside this (referring to the Constitution). I want to ask you, does this have the voice of Savarkar ji? Is it written somewhere in it that violence should be used, people should be killed or that the government should be run by using lies? This is a book of truth and non-violence," Rahul Gandhi said while addressing a Constitution Day program at Talkatora Stadium here.
He further said that he can "guarantee" that Prime Minister Narendra Modi must have not read the Constitution. "Narendra Modi ji and BJP government organised a function in the Parliament on the occasion of Constitution Day. This is India's Constitution and I guarantee you, Narendra Modi ji has not read it. Had he read this book, he wouldn't be doing what he has been doing every day," he added.
The LoP said that the caste census is being carried out in Telangana, it is a historic step, adding that they will do the same wherever we form government "A few days ago we started the work of a caste census in Telangana and it is not a bureaucratic exercise. For the first time caste census has been made a public exercise in Telangana.
The questions that are being asked are not being chosen by 10-15 people in a closed room, they are lakhs of people including Dalits, tribals, backward class people, poor, general caste people, minority people, everyone and the people of Telangana have designed the census...Wherever our government comes in the future, we will carry out caste census there," he said.
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi faced a technical glitch as his microphone went off in mid-speech at Talkatora Stadium during the Constitution Day program. After which, LoP said that no matter how many times his microphone is switched off, he will continue to talk about the issues.
"In this country for the last 3,000 years whoever talks about Dalits, tribals, backward classes, poor, his mic gets switched off. When the mic was switched off, a lot of people came and told me to go and sit. I said I will not sit, I will stand, switch off the mic as much as you want, I will speak whatever I want to. Here is Rohith Vemula's photo behind, he wanted to speak but his voice was taken away," he said.
Earlier today, President Droupadi Murmu released a commemorative coin and stamp to mark the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India on the occasion of the 'Samvidhan Diwas' celebrations at Samvidhan Sadan of Parliament.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi among other leaders attended the Constitution Day celebration event at Samvidhan Sadan.
The event commemorates the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949. The Constitution formally came into effect on January 26, 1950.