India News | Constitution Gave Us Right to Speak, Not Manu Smriti: Kharge in RS

New Delhi, Feb 3 (PTI) Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday invoked the Constitution's significance in empowering all sections of society, saying it was the Constitution, not Manu Smriti, that enabled the Finance Minister to present the Budget and gave everyone the right to speak in Parliament.

Leading the Opposition's charge during the debate on the Presidential address in the Rajya Sabha, Kharge launched a sharp attack on the government while warning against "Manuwadi" ideologies.

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"It is because of the Constitution the Finance Minister got the opportunity to present the Budget, not because of Manu Smriti. We have got the right to speak because of the Constitution. Don't listen to Manuwadi," he said.

Kharge was carrying a copy of Manu Smriti to the Upper House and asked if the Chair had read it fully.

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The Manu Smriti is an ancient Hindu legal and ethical text attributed to a legendary figure Manu, considered the first man and lawgiver according to Hindu mythology. It contains 2,694 verses across 12 chapters that outline social duties, laws, rituals, and Hindu cosmogony.

On February 1, 2025, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made history by presenting her eighth consecutive Union Budget -- a record for any finance minister in India.

In a scathing attack of the Modi government's 11-year rule, Kharge alleged complete failure on development, employment, farmers' welfare, and federal structure fronts.

The Leader of Opposition in the Upper House claimed that the country has seen no "vikas" (development) as evidenced by declining GDP, weakening rupee, and mounting unemployment.

India's GDP growth stood at 7.8 per cent during Manmohan Singh's tenure from 2004-14, while the GDP growth lowered to 5.8 per cent during the BJP's rule since 2014, he said.

Jobs cannot be created without economic development. "Educated people are unemployed as there are no jobs in the country. In the government, 35-40 lakh posts are vacant. Why are these posts not being filled?" Kharge asked, suggesting it was a deliberate strategy to deny opportunities to Dalits.

Citing National Crime Records Bureau data, he claimed more than 1 lakh farmers died by suicide in the past decade, adding that merely enhancing farm credit limits won't address the agricultural crisis.

"It is not my data, as per NCRB, more than one lakh farmers have committed suicides from 2014 till date. Who is responsible for this? Will their welfare happen after the death?" he said.

Kharge alleged that 12,000 MSMEs had shut down in just four months. He criticised the privatisation of railways and ports, claiming that they were handed over to "Adani alone".

"I am in favour of the public sector. That is the only way to help the poor," he said.

On Manipur, Kharge said the state "was burning" but the Prime Minister hadn't visited even once. "This is fear. Fear makes a person weak. You advise him to visit Manipur," he said.

The Congress president highlighted increasing crimes against women and SC/STs, while pointing to reduced conviction rates as evidence of poor governance.

Citing an RTI response, Kharge claimed 80-90 per cent students in IITs and IIMs were from general categories with minimal representation of reserved candidates.

"SC, ST, and OBCs are deprived of the right to education and jobs. It is a strategy of the BJP government to destroy them. What is written by Manu, they are proving it," he alleged.

He noted that pre-matric scholarships for SC/STs had been reduced and many aided schools in Uttar Pradesh were shut down.

On federal structure, Kharge accused the Centre of undermining elected governments in opposition-ruled states by empowering governors, particularly in Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, and West Bengal.

"Federal structure is being destroyed. Nobody is permanent. There should not be a wrong precedent as it will affect democracy and Constitution," he warned, adding that governors were sitting on files for up to six months.

"Governors are doing less work for people and more for the central government. People are angry about it," he said.

Taking aim at BJP's historical narratives, Kharge said, "BJP members think the country got freedom when Modi was elected in 2014. RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat said the country got freedom when Ayodhya temple was constructed in 2020."

"It's an insult to Gandhi, Nehru and those who gave their lives for the country's freedom. Modi and Bhagwat should take back their words," he said.

The Congress chief accused the BJP, not the Congress, of insulting Dr B R Ambedkar, citing a January 18, 1952 letter about an alleged plot by Veer Savarkar to defeat him in an election.

He termed Modi's 11 guarantees -- from bringing back black money to creating jobs -- as "jhoote jumlas" (false promises) and noted the Presidential address had no mention of Mahatma Gandhi and no enhancement in MGNREGA allocation.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)