New Delhi: Ahead of general elections due next year, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday launched the nationwide “Save the Constitution Campaign" in a bid to corner the government over atrocities against Dalits, alleging it has failed to protect the values enshrined in the Constitution.

“Every Dalit in the country, every poor in the country, every person in this country needs to understand what is the ideology of (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi... every Dalit of the country knows that when they see Narendra Modi, they know that this person’s heart has no place for Dalits, disempowered and women of this country," Gandhi told Congress party members at an event organized in the national capital’s Talkatora stadium.

Gandhi hit out at the government over attacks on Dalits, rights of Dalits as well as minorities, crimes against women and weakening of institutions.

He also challenged Modi to a 15-minute public debate on issues of national interest.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah said in a statement, “They do not want rule of democracy but they want rule of dynasty. Its ‘Save the Constitution’ campaign is nothing but a farce that seeks to perpetuate the rule of dynasty over the rule of democracy. Like in the past, we need to protect the Constitution from the Congress."

The Congress party is aiming to run a year-long campaign in all its units, including state, district and panchayat levels to reach out to Dalits.

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