BJP’s Sudhanshu Trivedi derides LoP Rahul over ‘thousand-year-old' Constitution remarks
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): As Leader of the Opposition (LoP) stated that the Constitution was "thousands of years old", BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi derided Rahul Gandhi, questioning whether his remarks stem from ignorance or a lack of knowledge about the Constitution drafted by Dr B.R. Ambedkar.
This controversy follows LoP Gandhi's comments on Monday during the Samvidhan Suraksha Sammelan in Patna.
Speaking in a rhetorical manner, Rahul Gandhi said, "People say that the Constitution was drafted in 1947. However, I believe that this Constitution is thousands of years old. It includes the thoughts of Ambedkar ji, Phule ji, Gandhi ji, Nehru ji, Guru Nanak ji, and Sant Kabir. The Constitution contains the ideas of those whom India respects."
Speaking to IANS, Sudhanshu Trivedi responded, "Look, there are people who always keep the Constitution in their pockets. Whatever Rahul Gandhi has said about the Constitution clearly shows that he probably never takes out a copy of the Constitution from his pocket to read it.
"He does not even know that the Constitution was adopted on November 26, 1949 and came into force on January 26, 1950. He is saying it was drafted in 1947, whereas the Constitution was not even prepared at that time. The process of its preparation was still in its early stages, which is why the Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to celebrate November 26, 1949—the day the Constitution was adopted—as Constitution Day."
Sudhanshu Trivedi further said that it shows that he lacks prior knowledge of the Constitution and its historical context.
"Now it’s very clear. There are many misguided youth, and perhaps Rahul Gandhi represents one of them—someone who lacks prior knowledge of the Constitution and its historical context. That is why the Prime Minister has taken the initiative here. After his remarks, he said that the Constitution is thousands of years old. I don’t understand whether this reflects his ignorance about the Constitution drafted by Baba Saheb Ambedkar or if he genuinely believes this. Is this just ignorance about the Constitution, or is it contempt for it," he stated.
Sudhanshu Trivedi further appreciated that the Congress finally acknowledged that India is thousands of years old.
"However, one thing pleasantly surprised me: This party, which used to argue that India is not thousands of years old—that it came into existence during the Mughal period and became a country during the British period—has now acknowledged that it is thousands of years old. I want to remind them that India is indeed thousands of years old and is the only surviving prehistoric civilisation in the world. We are the land where knowledge first emerged. The sad part is that the Congress party, which has always denied India’s ancient civilisation, has now inadvertently admitted it," he claimed.
"I would like to say that when Prime Minister Modi declared this as Amrit Kaal, he set a 25-year agenda. He mentioned that these 25 years will lay the foundation for India’s future for the next 1,000 years. We draw inspiration from our thousands of years of history, set a vision for the next 25 years, and plan for the next millennium. Meanwhile, others are the ones who don’t even know the basics—keeping the Constitution in their pockets without understanding when it was drafted or implemented," he concluded.
