Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Monday, launched a sharp critique of the Congress, accusing the party of sidelining the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and reducing them to “second-class citizens” during its decades in power.
Speaking at an event in Hisar, Haryana, after inaugurating the first commercial flight from Maharaja Agrasen Airport to Ayodhya and laying the foundation stone for a new terminal building, Modi alleged that the Congress had consistently worked against the spirit of equality envisioned by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
“Babasaheb Ambedkar devoted his life to securing equality and dignity for every citizen, especially the poor and marginalized.
But the Congress, instead of fulfilling his vision, injected the poison of vote-bank politics into the country,” the Prime Minister said.
Intensifying his attack, Modi claimed the Congress manipulated Ambedkar’s Constitution for its political gain, turning it into a “weapon for grabbing power” rather than a tool for justice and equality.
Modi went on to highlight the disparity under Congress governments, saying, “During their rule, water reached the swimming pools of Congress leaders, but villages — especially those where SCs, STs, and OBCs lived — were deprived of even basic drinking water.
Even after 70 years of independence, only 16 percent of rural homes had access to tap water.”
He questioned the sincerity of the Congress’s commitment to the welfare of marginalized communities, pointing out that those now delivering speeches “on every street” had failed to ensure basic amenities like water reached the homes of SCs, STs, and OBCs when they were in power.
Modi also revisited Ambedkar’s own experiences with Congress, claiming the party had systematically insulted and sidelined him, both during his life and posthumously.
“The Congress humiliated Babasaheb while he was alive, defeated him in elections, and plotted to erase his ideas and legacy after his death,” he alleged.
Turning to his government’s work, the Prime Minister said the BJP-led Centre is pursuing Ambedkar’s dream by improving both physical connectivity and social equity.
“Today, we are connecting villages, improving infrastructure, and at the same time working for social justice and the empowerment of the poor — this is the India envisioned by Ambedkar and the framers of our Constitution,” he added.