New Delhi, Jul 11 (PTI) Launching a scathing attack on the grand old party for organising 'Save the Constitution' rally in Odisha, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday alleged that it was yet another political tourism stunt to save Congress "prince" Rahul Gandhi and the party rather than the Constitution.

Gandhi's situation today is akin to the saying "blaming the stage for not knowing how to dance", the minister alleged.

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"This is not about saving the Constitution but rather about saving Rahul Gandhi and Congress," he said.

Pradhan said the unwavering trust of people in the public-welfare-oriented BJP government in Odisha is troubling the Congress.

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The minister said the Congress has no presence or existence in Odisha, adding the poor, Dalits, tribals, farmers and labourers of the state rejected the party decades ago.

"In such a scenario, Rahul Gandhi's talk about the welfare of Odisha's poor is nothing but deception. The history of Congress has always been one of neglecting the rights of the poor and marginalized sections. The funds sent from Delhi by Congress governments were either looted by middlemen or diverted to their favored vote banks at the expense of the rights of SC, ST and backward communities," he said in a post on X.

Pradhan asserted that Congress has faced crushing defeats in states like Maharashtra and Haryana after which Gandhi and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge are blaming the Election Commission and democratic institutions for their losses.

"It is astonishing that the Congress party, which once throttled democracy and trampled the Constitution by imposing an Emergency on the country, is now preaching about saving the Constitution. Rahul Gandhi's situation today is akin to the saying 'blaming the stage for not knowing how to dance'," the minister said.

"After repeated electoral defeats and anticipating another loss in the upcoming Bihar elections, the Congress party has come up with a new gimmick of 'vote theft'. However, the people of Odisha and the nation have now recognized every trick and deceit of Congress and Rahul Gandhi. Going forward, the public will continue to give a befitting reply to such anti-people and anti-Constitution elements in every election," he alleged.

(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)