Constitution a ‘protective shield’; BJP made every effort to break it: Priyanka

Initiating the discussion on the Constitution of India, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra delivered her maiden speech in the Lok Sabha on Friday, 13 December, sharply criticising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government over several key issues pertinent to the constitutional values of the nation — including crimes against women, Dalit people and various minorities.

Speaking during a discussion on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Indian Constitution, Gandhi Vadra began by highlighting India's "glorious history of debate and discourse", emphasising the significance of the Constitution in empowering citizens.

"The Constitution gave people the right to justice. It made them realise that when they raise their voices, the government must listen," she said, describing the Constitution as a "protective shield" for the people of India.

The Wayanad MP mentioned in her speech how rape survivors are being further victimised by the BJP governments in various states.

"In Unnao, I went to the house of a rape victim. Her fields were burnt and her brothers were beaten up," she said. "I met the girl's father. The girl's father said: 'I want justice. When my daughter went to register an FIR in her district, she was refused. Then she had to go to another district. She used to wake up every morning and go alone to another district by train to fight her case.'"

Gandhi Vadra accused the BJP-led central government of making every possible attempt to undermine and break the protective shield that is the Constitution, undermining the very foundation of India's democratic values and depriving people of their rights and of justice.

Accusing the NDA government of weaponising investigative agencies to silence dissent as well, the Congress leader painted a picture of a regime that refuses to hear the people it serves and refuses to be held to account by its peers: "False cases are being filed against opposition leaders to silence their voices. This misuse of power constitutes a direct attack on democracy," she said.

Her remarks underscored the growing concerns around the government's use of central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to target political opponents over the last decade.

Of course, such statements are not new to the Congress party’s — and the entire INDIA bloc's — broader campaign to hold the government accountable, demanding transparency and democratic, equitable governance. The Opposition parties have repeatedly accused the NDA government of employing central agencies as instruments of political retribution — a function that she emphasised was woven into the Constitution's promise of democracy and a voice for all.

In her address, Priyanka also described the Indian Constitution as a transformative force that empowers citizens to recognise their rights and demand justice.

"The Constitution gave the people the strength to understand that they have the right to justice and the ability to raise their voices against the government when necessary," she emphasised, underscoring its critical role in upholding democracy, ensuring accountability, and safeguarding civil liberties.

The Congress MP also criticised the BJP for focusing on historical grievances — real and manufactured — particularly the blame it likes to assign to Jawaharlal Nehru as a distraction from its inability or disinterest to address the pressing challenges facing the nation today.

"The BJP keeps blaming Nehru, but it has done nothing to implement the vital changes that India urgently needs," she remarked, highlighting the party's lack of concrete solutions for current issues.

Indeed, defence minister Rajnath Singh had spoken just before the Congress leader (who is Nehru's great-granddaughter), 'suggesting' that "a certain party" has always worked to hijack the framing of the Constitution.

Notably, the man oft-credited as the founding father of the Indian Constitution, who led the drafting committee, was B.R. Ambedkar — a Dalit leader who was not a Congress member. Having founded his own Independent Labour Party, Babasaheb Ambedkar served as the law minister in Nehru's cabinet for the Dominion of India, and many of the minority and identity-based rights that Gandhi Vadra mentioned in her speech were ideals he had pushed for.