New Delhi: The BJP government will never change the constitution or end reservation, Home Minister Amit Shah said in an exclusive interview with NDTV. Mr Shah said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already won two elections with full majority, and if changing the Constitution was his agenda, he could have easily done it.
"Modi ji became the Prime Minister twice. He had a clear mandate both times. So if the BJP government wanted to change the constitution, or remove reservation, who could have stopped us?" Amit Shah said.
"We instead used our majority to finish Article 370, triple talaq, to build Ram temple, to conduct a surgical strike, to land Chandrayaan, to save 130 crores during the Covid pandemic, to provide 60 crore people toilet, cooking gas, home, drinking water, power supply, free ration, and health costs up to 5 lakh," he added.
Amit Shah's remarks come after claims by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi that the BJP will "tear up and throw away" the Constitution if it retains power. Some other Congress functionaries had expressed apprehensions that the BJP may drop the word "secularism" from the Preamble of the Constitution.
The Home Minister said that the Opposition was spreading lies to mislead voters.
"Rahul Gandhi wants to mislead the country. The people of the country know this. Either he is delusional or is spreading delusion," Mr Shah said.
"Our Constitution has ensured opportunities for everyone. Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, coming from the Dalit community, achieved such a stature. Babu Jagjivan Ram led the country. Dalits, Adivasis and OBCs comprise more than 50 per cent of Parliament. He (Rahul Gandhi) does not know how the country functions," he added.