The Congress has portrayed a comment by BJP parliamentarian Anant Hegde about changing the Constitution to “put Hinduism in the forefront” as a public pronouncement of an RSS-BJP agenda to end secular democracy and impose
a dictatorship.

“The BJP MP’s statement that they need 400 seats to rewrite the Constitution yet again exposes the devious agenda of (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and the RSS to impose dictatorship,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said.

“The Modi government, the BJP and the RSS secretly desire to impose dictatorship (and) impose their Manuvadi mindset on the people of India and snatch away the rights of the SCs, STs and the OBCs.”

Responding to Hegde’s comment, Kharge said: “There will be no elections, or at the most, just sham elections. The independence of institutions will be curtailed. Freedom of expression will be bulldozed. The RSS and the BJP will destroy our secular fabric and unity in diversity. The Congress will not allow these ulterior motives of the Sangh Parivar to succeed.”

Reports have quoted Hegde, a Karnataka MP known to make controversial comments, as having urged voters to help the BJP win more than 400 seats.

“Why does the BJP need 400+ seats? Congress leaders in the past made changes to the Constitution in a way that doesn’t put Hinduism in front. We need to change it and save our religion,” Hegde has been quoted as saying.

“We already have a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha, (but) we do not have that in the Rajya Sabha to amend the Constitution. (A tally of) 400-plus will help us achieve that. We need a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and even in the states. All hurdles to rewriting the Constitution will then go away and help us put Hinduism in the forefront.”

Kharge said: “Such repeated calls by the BJP-RSS... are a direct assault on the unquestionable ethos of a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic (republic) as espoused by our Constitution makers.

Rahul Gandhi too commented on Hegde’s statement, saying: “The BJP MP’s statement that 400-plus seats were needed to change the Constitution is a public pronouncement of (the) hidden agenda of Narendra Modi and his Sangh Parivar. The ultimate goal of the BJP and Modi is to finish off the Constitution. They hate justice, equality, civilian rights and democracy.”

Rahul added: “They want to transform India’s democracy into a narrow autocracy by dividing society, enslaving the media, curbing freedom of speech, weakening institutions and wiping out the Opposition. We won’t let this conspiracy against the dreams of the freedom fighters (succeed) and fight to protect democratic values till our last breath.”