Rahul Gandhi in Berlin: BJP proposing elimination of the Constitution

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has accused the BJP of proposing what he described as the “elimination of the Constitution", asserting that the ruling party is undermining the principles of equality and democratic institutions in India. He said the opposition would build a structured and effective system of resistance to counter this.

Addressing students at the Hertie School in Berlin during his visit to Germany last week, Gandhi said that the BJP is not merely a political opponent but has captured India’s institutional framework to consolidate power. An hour-long video of the interaction was released by the Congress on Monday.

He shares, "What the BJP is proposing, essentially, is the elimination of the Constitution. The elimination of the idea of equality between states, the elimination of the idea of equality between languages and religions, and the elimination of the central core of the Constitution, which is that every individual has the same value."

Gandhi described Indian democracy as a global asset and warned that any attack on it has implications beyond the country. According to him, the ongoing assault on India’s democratic system is also an attack on the global democratic order.

He said the BJP’s proposal amounts to dismantling the constitutional idea of equality. According to him, the idea of equality between states, languages and religions, and the Constitution’s central belief that every individual holds equal value, is being targeted.

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Institutions under pressure

Referring to challenges faced by the opposition, Gandhi said that when democracy comes under attack, responses must go beyond merely pointing out flaws in elections. “A method, a system of opposition resistance that will succeed will be created,” he said, adding that the real struggle is against the capture of India’s institutions.

Responding to questions, the opposition leader alleged that institutions have been weaponised. He claimed there is a problem with the electoral machinery and said a full-scale assault is underway on the country’s institutional framework. According to him, many institutions are no longer performing the roles they are meant to perform.

He drew a comparison between Europe and India, noting that while Europe took decades to build the European Union, India established a political and economic union in 1947 based on its Constitution. He said discussions on global democracy cannot ignore India, calling Indian democracy a global public good rather than just a national asset.

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Election fairness

Aiming at the BJP, Gandhi claimed that the Congress had clearly won the Haryana election and said that the Maharashtra election was not felt to be fair. He also criticised central agencies such as the CBI and the ED, alleging that they have been used selectively against the opposition. He said that the Congress helped build India’s institutional framework and never treated it as its own. In contrast, he alleged that the BJP considers these institutions as belonging to the party and uses them to build political power. He pointed out that most cases pursued by agencies against opposition leaders appear to be political in nature.

Congress leader also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s economic approach, claiming that the BJP and the RSS have carried forward the economic model of former prime minister Manmohan Singh. Gandhi alleged that the current economic path has reached a dead end and cannot progress further.