New Delhi, 23 December (H.S.): Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of conspiring to weaken the foundational ethos of the Indian Constitution during his five-day Germany visit.

Addressing students at an event at the Hertie School in Berlin on Monday evening, Gandhi released a nearly one-hour video on social media, discussing democracy, institutions, and global affairs. He alleged that the BJP seeks to dismantle the Constitution's principles of equal rights, state equality, linguistic diversity, and religious harmony.

Gandhi asserted that India's democratic institutions no longer function independently, with agencies like the CBI and Enforcement Directorate being weaponized against political opponents. He framed the Congress party's struggle not merely against the BJP, but against the alleged capture of institutional frameworks and agencies.

He highlighted concerns over a foreign woman's name appearing in Haryana's voter list without a satisfactory response from the Election Commission, while questioning the fairness of the Maharashtra Assembly elections. Emphasizing large-scale job creation through a robust manufacturing sector, Gandhi criticized the BJP government for favoring a few large industrial groups, noting that policies like demonetization and GST inflicted severe damage on small and medium enterprises.

Gandhi underscored that India's vast diversity precludes any single individual from dictating its future, reminding that the Constitution views the nation as a union of states—yet the current government remains unwilling to engage in broad discussions on this federal structure.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar