Bhubaneswar, 11 July (H.S.): As Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arrived in Odisha for his ‘Samvidhan Bachao Yatra’ (Save the Constitution March), the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a scathing attack, alleging that the campaign is a veiled attempt to revive the Congress party rather than uphold constitutional values.

Addressing a press conference on Friday, senior BJP leaders termed the rally a “political stunt” and accused the Congress of hypocrisy, claiming the party has a history of undermining democratic institutions for political gain.

“This is not a ‘Save Constitution’ campaign, it is clearly a ‘Save Congress’ campaign,” said Biranchi Narayan Tripathi, Vice-President of the Odisha BJP. “The Congress has lost its connect with the people of Odisha and is now using this campaign to regain political relevance.”

The BJP further criticized the Congress for what it called a lack of internal democracy, labeling it a “family-run party” dominated by the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty—from Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and now Priyanka Gandhi and her husband.

“If anyone has weakened democratic values in this country, it is the Congress party,” Tripathi alleged. “They have repeatedly amended the Constitution for their own political convenience and cannot now claim to be its saviors.”

The BJP also took aim at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, demanding a public apology for what it termed as disrespect to the President of India, though it did not elaborate on the specific incident.

As of now, the Congress has not issued an official response to the BJP’s criticism. However, the remarks have added fuel to the political debate surrounding Gandhi’s Bhubaneswar rally, which is part of the national ‘Samvidhan Bachao Yatra’ aimed at mobilizing public support ahead of upcoming elections.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda