Constitution keeps country together, says Modi as Rahul attacks govt in Lok Sabha

'The message of the Constitution must reach the future generations'

New Delhi

: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the main reason behind celebrating our Constitution was to make our young people aware of our great leaders of the past as he addressed the Parliament on Tuesday. Modi in his speech paid homage to the Constitution makers and assured that his government at the Centre is committed to the ideals of Dr B R Ambedkar.

“The greatest political venture in the world is India’s constitution. The example set by the drafting committee is the greatest source of learning for leaders of independent India. If we have a guiding light today then that is our Constitution,” said Modi.

“The main reason behind celebrating our constitution was to make our young people aware of our great leaders of the past. This constitution prepared by the makers of our nation assure social justice, dignity and equality of respect to everyone,” the Prime Minister added.

Our Constitution is not about laws only. It is a social document. We admire these facets of our Constitution: PM in Rajya Sabha

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) December 1, 2015

"The message of the Constitution must reach the future generations," Modi said, adding, "Our main work is to frame laws as people voted us for that. It is easy to gain power, but difficult to gain wisdom."

Meanwhile in the Lok Sabha, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi led the Congress' charge and attacked the govt over a range of issues including the Dadri lynching and the Sahitya Academi row.

“A Muslim man is killed in cold blood. The man ultimately responsible for his protection, the PM, remained silent” Rahul Gandhi said, referring to the lynching of a Muslim man over beef eating rumours.

“Pakistan's weakness is their intolerance. Their leaders don't hear the voice of their people. India is successful because we have embraced our people. Our strength is our tolerance”, he said.

Will the PM start to listen to the voice of our people Or will he stand by &watch as his colleagues trample on the voice of this country

— Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 1, 2015

Rahul also raked up BJP leader V K Singh's 'dog' remark over Dalit killings in Faridabad. “Everyone in this room swore to protect rights of our people. Where is VK Singh A general who compared Dalit children to dogs” Rahul said.

“He has directly challenged the constitution by equating Dalit children with dogs. Our PM has let a man like that (VK Singh) continue as a Minister”, Rahul added as he upped his attack on the Government.

While the Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day after Modi’s speech, Rajnath Singh lashed out at the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. “If there is any party which has been the biggest target of intolerance it is BJP and the person who has been the biggest victim is PM Narendra Modi,” said Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

“Intolerance has been displayed only thrice — during partition, emergency and the 1984 riots,” he said. “You have to respect the people's verdict, only then will people say that you are tolerant,” the Home Minister said, adding, “People know who is spreading hate in the country.”

Responding to Rahul's attack on the government over VK Singh's dog remark, Rajnath Sinfh said, "You ask why PM is silent on VK Singh. Tell me something, every time something like this happened in the past did the then PM respond "

"VK Singh himself gave a clarification, said that his statement was twisted," Rajnath added, as he defended the BJP leader.

Earlier, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that India was built on the premise of respecting diversity. “Hate at home and Make in India abroad cannot go hand in hand,” said Shashi Tharoor.

He also took a jibe at the recent events regarding intolerance and beef ban saying, “It is safer to be a cow than a Muslim in India.”

Tharoor also pointed out that foreign publications were talking about growing intolerance in India.

"Today we feel ashamed when foreign newspapers report of mounting intolerance in India", the Congress leader said and urged the Modi government to "take its own slogans seriously" and keep "India first".

Tharoor made his address in the Parliament right after BJP MP Kirron Kher, who hit out at the Congress for 65 years of 'misrule and corruption'.

'You can't tolerate any one here. 65 years this country has tolerated misrule and corruption', Kher told opposition parties in Lok Sabha.

On Tuesday, BJP MPs were asked to avoid making provocative statements amid the debate in Parliament over the issue of intolerance where controversial comments by some party leaders, including ministers, have come in handy for the opposition in its attack on the government.

In the first parliamentary party meeting during the Winter session, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu told the members that provocative statements are being used by the anti-BJP forces to deflect the attention from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's development agenda.