CHENNAI: Former Union Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday warned that if the BJP gets a majority of two-thirds in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha it would alter the Indian Constitution and destroy its present form. The Congress leader said this while addressing a two-day workshop of the grand old party on the outskirts of Chennai.
The workshop was held to draw up a strategy to counter the BJPs’ efforts to penetrate the State and strengthen its influence. On the last day of the workshop, Chidambaram also spoke about the decisions taken at the Chintan Shivir recently held at Udaipur.
Highlighting ideological differences between the parties, Chidambaram said, “The Congress and BJP are in different directions... The Congress’ opinion about India is different from the BJP’s. Congress ruled the country in harmony but the BJP wants to lead it in some other way. They are taking efforts to destroy the Constitution. If the BJP gets a majority of two-thirds in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, it will change the Constitution.”
Speaking about the BJP’s efforts to isolate the Muslim community, he said, “The BJP has 380 MPs in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha but none from the Muslim community. The party rules 15 States but has no Muslim ministers. That is their ideology. How can one rule the country by omitting the 20 crore Muslims in the social and political spectrum?”
About the recent remarks of BJP leaders that drew criticism from Gulf nations, the senior Congress leader said, “The party suspended one spokesperson and expelled another for airing derogatory comments against Prophet Mohammed. But, they were only echoing their master’s voice.”
He urged the party cadre to write about various social and political issues to spread Congress’ ideology. During Chintan Shivir, the party decided to spend on creating jobs, improving education, and boosting the health sector if it is voted to power in the 2024 Parliamentary general election, he added.
Earlier, Congress State president KS Alagiri said the party decided to conduct a mass protest against the “anti-people” policies of the BJP-led Union government across the State from June 28 to July 1. The party will also hold a 75-km march in all districts of TN on August 9 to highlight the “failures” of the BJP government.