In a sharp rebuttal to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s recent remarks attacking former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru during a debate on the Constitution, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge questioned her credibility, highlighting her educational background from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Kharge took a dig at Sitharaman, saying, “I have studied at a municipality school, while she studied at Jawaharlal Nehru University. It’s certain that her English and Hindi are good, but her deeds are not good.” Kharge’s comments were aimed at Sitharaman’s criticism of Nehru, particularly her claim that he had curbed freedom of speech in 1951 by amending the Constitution.
Kharge’s statement came after Sitharaman accused Nehru of undermining democracy by making changes to the Constitution that, according to her, restricted freedom of speech. Responding to this, Kharge also addressed the broader BJP narrative, accusing the party of misusing the legacy of the Gandhi family for political gain. He remarked, “Those who hated the tricolour, the Ashok Chakra, and the Constitution are now giving lessons on the Constitution.”
In his speech, Kharge also recalled the actions of BJP leaders in the past, pointing out that they had burned effigies of prominent figures like Babasaheb Ambedkar, Nehru, and Mahatma Gandhi during the adoption of the Constitution at Ramleela Maidan in Delhi. He emphasized that these same individuals, who once rejected the national flag and the Constitution, were now attempting to teach the nation about constitutional values.
Kharge further echoed the claims of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who has alleged that RSS leaders had opposed the Constitution because it was not based on the Manusmriti, an ancient Hindu text. This ongoing critique highlights the stark ideological divide between the Congress and BJP on the role and legacy of India’s founding leaders, particularly Nehru and Ambedkar, in shaping the Constitution.