Sonia Gandhi attacks Modi government, says those who have no role in framing of Constitution are now laying claims on it

New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Narendra Modi government saying what has been happening in the country in the last few months is completely against the tenets of the Constitution.

Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the first day of the Winter Session of Parliament, Sonia said those who have no role in the Constitution are now claiming to be its guardian.

"What is happening in the last few months is totally against the values of our Constitution. Congress struggled for the Constitution but today we see the basic ideals of our Constitution are under threat. People who never had faith in the Constitution, nor had they participated in its drafting, are now swearing by it and are laying claim to it. They are now having a discussion on commitment to it. There cannot be a bigger joke than this," said Sonia.

She recalled Ambedkar's warning to hit out at the ruling dispensation and said even Dr Ambedkar had observed that howsoever good a Constitution may be, if those implementing it were bad people, then the utlimate effect would only be bad.

A two-day special session has been convened to celebrate the Constitution Day and pay tribute to Dr BR Ambedkar, architect of the Indian Constitution.

Highlighting Congress's contribution in framing of the Constitution, Sonia said, "Indian Constitution is a result of decades of struggle. Mahatma Gandhiji made a huge contribution in this struggle. It is Congress party who nominated Dr Ambedkar for Constituent Assembly seeing his abilities."

At a time when BJP is seeking to appropriate the legacy of Ambedkar, Sonia also utilised Ambedkar's praise of the Congress for its contribution in the drafting of the Constitution, indicating that the Congress could lay the rightful claim on the document.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh had stirred a 'secular' debate in the Lok Sabha by saying that the word was not there in the Preamble originally.

"'Secular' and 'Socialist' are two words that I believe that have been inserted in the Preamble. And the word 'secular' is the most misused word in the Indian politics," said Singh.