Panaji: Bharatiya Janata Party’s National General Secretary Vinod Tawde on Thursday appealed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to give his reaction to the statement by his party’s candidate that the Indian constitution should be changed.
Tawade was referring to the statement by Congress’ South Goa candidate Viriato Fernandes who had commented that the Indian constitution was forced upon Goans after the liberation of state in the year 1961.
Talking to reporters in Panaji, Tawde said that while on one hand congress leaders in Goa are claiming that the Indian constitution should be changed, on the other hand, their leader Mallikarjun Kharge is commenting that BJP wants to win on 400 seats because they (BJP) wants to change the constitution of India.
Tawde said that BJP had released its manifesto on April 14 which is the Birth Anniversary of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar.
“Since the opposition has nothing to speak against PM Narendra Modi, they are making such kind of statements,” he said referring to Kharge’s statement.
Tawde said “I want Rahul Gandhi to come out in public and comment on the statement made Congress candidate in Goa about the Indian constitution.”
Raising another issue, the BJP leader said that the congress party has said in its manifesto that they will impose inheritance tax on the ancestral properties. “This means, after the death of the main family member, the inheritance tax would be imposed on the property and major part of the money will go to the government,” he said.
“What will happen to that money is that the government will distribute it amongst those whom (former PM) Dr Manmohan Singh had mentioned about (muslims),” he added.
He said that with these two points only, one can imagine what the Congress will do, if they come to power after Lok Sabha polls.
Reacting to the press conference, Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao said that the Congress, once voted to power, will amend the tenth schedule of the constitution of India and make defections (leaving the original party on which MLA or MP was elected) as automatic disqualification of the membership of the Assembly or Parliament.
He said that Tawde is worried because of this commitment of the Congress party.
Alemao condemned the statement of Tawde which alleged that the Congress will change the constitution.
“WE don’t want lessons on constitution from those who murdered the constitution and engineered mass defections,” he said.
