KARWAR: Uttara Kannada
BJP MP Anantkumar Hegde
has ignited controversy by saying his party needed to win 400 Lok Sabha seats this time to "amend" the Constitution and erase the damage wrought by Congress over the years. He had made similar comments in 2019.
Addressing
BJP workers
in Siddapur taluk on Saturday, Hegde said Congress had amended the Constitution "many times" and adopted "anti-people" policies.
"We can undo this damage only by winning two-thirds majority in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, and we must hold power in at least 20 states to amend the Constitution," Hegde said. The MP stressed this as the "intent" behind BJP's current slogan of "Ab ki baar, 400 paar (this time, more than 400 seats)".
Congress seized on the comment, saying Hegde had "given away his party's conspiracy" to junk "BR Ambedkar's Constitution". BJP distanced itself from the remarks, describing them as "Hegde's personal views and not of the party". In a post on X, BJP said it would seek explanation from the MP and reaffirmed its "unwavering commitment" to upholding the Constitution.
In 2019, Hegde had declared that "we have come to change the Constitution". Following a blowback, mainly from Congress, the MP was forced to apologise. Some believe the row cost him a Union cabinet berth.
Hegde's current statement comes amid a strong pitch by Congress that BJP was preparing the ground to change the character of the Constitution and "deny the downtrodden their rights enshrined in the document prepared by Ambedkar".Hegde pointed out how BJP fell short in implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act. He said it faced stiff opposition in the Rajya Sabha.
English (US) ·