Congress president Rahul Gandhi launched his party’s nationwide ‘Save the Constitution’ campaign on Monday from Delhi’s Talkatora stadium.

The campaign aims to highlight alleged attacks on the Constitution and Dalits under the Bharatiya Janata Party-led regime.

The campaign will continue till next year’s April 14, the birth anniversary of Dalit icon Bhim Rao Ambedkar.

In a sharp attack on the ruling party BJP, Rahul Gandhi said that the Narendra Modi-led government was destroying institutions by appointing RSS ideologues to occupy important positions.

“For 70 years, India has built itself, the foundation has been the Constitution given to us by Dr Ambedkar and the Congress party – every single institution has been built on this foundation. Our institutions were gifted to us by our Constitution. The Modi government is now destroying these institutions by appointing RSS ideologues to occupy important positions,” said the Congress chief.

The Congress Party will stand together to protect the interests of Dalits and other weaker sections of the society wherever the BJP & RSS attacks them: Congress President @RahulGandhi #SaveTheConstitution pic.twitter.com/8ldjRl7Gzx

— Congress (@INCIndia) April 23, 2018

“We will never allow the BJP ans RSS to destroy our Constitution. The people of India will speak their ‘Mann ki Baat’ in 2019,” he added.

In his speech, Rahul Gandhi claimed that he only needs 15 minutes to speak in Parliament and if he is allowed to speak, PM Modi will run away.

“If I am allowed to speak for 15 minutes in Parliament, PM Modi will run away. Country may burn and women may be raped but Modi only interested in becoming prime minister again,” he said.

Earlier in the day, the Congress announced the campaign on Twitter and wrote, “A movement has begun to stand in solidarity with the Dalits & other oppressed communities and to protect the values enshrined in our Constitution. Join us in protecting the idea of India. #SaveTheConstitution”

A movement has begun to stand in solidarity with the Dalits & other oppressed communities and to protect the values enshrined in our Constitution. Join us in protecting the idea of India. #SaveTheConstitution pic.twitter.com/Gl2D9aXYCr

— Congress (@INCIndia) April 23, 2018

The party’s present and former Dalit lawmakers, those holding offices in zilla parishad, civic bodies and panchayat samitis, and office-bearers attached to the regional units of Congress were to attend the event. The party said the campaign aimed to sensitise the attendees on the current state of affairs with regard to the community.

“The campaign would be taken up at the state-level by the party’s respective SC departments to reach out to the common man at the village level,” said Nitin Raut, chairman of the AICC’s Scheduled Caste cell, in a statement.

The Congress campaign comes at a time when the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is holding “Gram Swaraj Abhiyan” across the country under which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked party MPs and MLAs to spend a night in Dalit-dominated villages.

The Prime Minister’s direction to party leaders came after violent protests erupted in parts of the country after a Supreme Court order allegedly diluted the Scheduled Castes and Schedules Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

(With agency inputs)