On Constitution Day, senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge reaffirmed their commitment to protecting the Indian Constitution and its core values of justice, liberty, equality, fraternity, secularism, and socialism.
In his message on X, Gandhi called the Constitution “not just a book; it is a sacred promise made to every citizen of the country.” He emphasised that the document “is a protective shield for the poor and the deprived… As long as the Constitution is secure, the rights of every Indian are secure.” The Raebareli MP urged citizens to pledge against any “attack on the Constitution” and declared, “It is my duty to protect it, and I will stand first in front of every assault on it.” He concluded with, “Heartfelt greetings to all of you on Constitution Day. Jai Hind, Jai Constitution.”
Congress president Kharge posted separately that the Constitution “is not merely a document for lawyers; rather, it is a means of living life, and its spirit remains ever constant.” He paid tribute to the architects of the Constituent Assembly—including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Maulana Azad, Rajendra Prasad, Sarojini Naidu, and Dr BR Ambedkar—and stressed the “need of safeguarding the fundamental principles of the Constitution—justice, equality, liberty, fraternity, secularism, and socialism.”
Kharge called on fellow citizens to “uphold the freedom of democracy and the Constitution for the sake of the country’s unity and integrity, for love and brotherhood, and for harmony and goodwill,” ending with “Jai Hind.”
Constitution Day, officially designated by the Government of India in 2015 to mark the adoption of the Constitution on 26 November 1949, is observed annually to promote awareness of the Constitution’s values and the rights and duties of citizens. The day also honours Dr Ambedkar, the principal architect of the Constitution.
Both Congress leaders alleged challenges to Constitutional values. Kharge’s earlier Republic Day message had warned that “every sacred tenet of the Constitution is being shredded into pieces by an authoritarian regime” and called for “protecting the core constitutional values.” Rahul Gandhi’s Republic Day letter of 2018 had similarly urged citizens “to protect the Constitution… whenever it is endangered.”