Modi govt weakening Constitution, reversing social justice gains: Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday accused the Modi government of weakening the Constitution whose foundation is social justice and said its policies have reversed previous Congress governments' initiatives on education and jobs for Dalits.

Addressing the Congress party's first meeting of its Scheduled Castes (SC) Advisory Committee, he said the BJP government has weakened reservations, does not promote equality, instead justifies discrimination.

"We will not allow Baba Saheb (Ambedkar)'s Constitution to be weakened at any cost," Kharge said.

He said the Congress, even before Independence, pledged to mitigate the discrimination prevalent in society and recognised that the state's role in eradicating it.

It was with this thinking that two major laws were enacted: the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955, which made untouchability and all its forms punishable offences, and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, Kharge said.

The government of Rajiv Gandhi enacted the SC/ST Act which stated for the first time that atrocities against Dalits are not just crimes, but an assault on social justice, the Congress chief said.

Later, Congress governments strengthened it further by imposing restrictions on anticipatory bail for the accused, expediting investigations for victims, higher compensation, and arrangements for Special Courts, he said.

Noting that education is the greatest weapon for Dalit empowerment, Kharge said the Congress recognised that education is the path to social equality.

"Therefore, we initiated Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme, Pre-Matric Scholarship, Hostels for SC boys and girls, Top Class Education Scheme, SC reservations in IITs, IIMs and medical colleges, programmes like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Mid-Day Meal, and RTE (Right To Education), which rapidly increased the school attendance of Dalit children.

"Today, there are lakhs of SC doctors, engineers, teachers, officers, and entrepreneurs in the country -- their journeys began with these very policies," he said.

Claiming attacks on those who raise the voice of Dalits, the Congress chief said whether it is the Rohith Vemula issue, the actions following Bhima-Koregaon, or the discrimination faced by Dalit students in universities, the government has tried to suppress the Dalit voice everywhere.

"The rights given by the Constitution are being snatched away. Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar had said: 'The measure of a society's progress is how secure its weakest member is.

"Today, the situation has been reversed. Policies that weaken reservations, reduce jobs for Dalits through privatisation, decline in SC/ST faculty recruitment in universities -- these prove that the Modi government is weakening that Constitution whose foundation is social justice," he said.

Kharge also accused the Modi dispensation of promoting "Manuvadi" mentality.

"This is the same government that sometimes promotes such thinking in its documents, speeches, and policies. This is the government which does not promote equality, but justifies discrimination. We will not allow this to happen," the Congress leader added.