 "Congress has tried to strangle Constitution since beginning: UP CM Yogi")
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in a scathing attack on the Congress, on Tuesday alleged that the grand old party has tried to strangle the Constitution drawn up by Babasaheb Ambedkar since the beginning.
Adityanath's reaction came amid claims by the opposition parties, including the Congress, that the BJP's "400-paar" slogan is aimed at changing the Constitution and ending the reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and backward classes.
Adityanath told PTI Video that there cannot be a bigger lie than these claims by the opposition.
"Everyone knows the history of the Congress, Samajwadi Party and the parties associated with the INDIA bloc," he said.
"The Congress' history has been to strangle the Constitution drawn up by Babasaheb Ambedkar. The Constitution came into force in 1950 and the Congress continuously worked to trample the freedom of expression. Even after that, there were continuous efforts to use the Constitution in its (Congress') own way," he alleged.
The Uttar Pradesh chief minister also described the Congress as anti-people and said it never tried to respect public sentiment.
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Recalling the suspension of constitutional provisions to impose the Emergency in 1975 by the Indira Gandhi-led government, Adityanath said, "Even today, people of the country have not forgotten the Emergency. It was also like strangulating the Constitution," he alleged.
Hitting out at the Samajwadi Party, Adityanath said, "The Samajwadi Party was supporting the sins that the Congress committed during the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government.