00:001950 is when India became a republic by adopting the constitution which was written by Baba Sahib Ambedkar.
00:09Well, it's been 77 years and 77 years on, the constitution still remains a big political flashpoint.
00:17Something that was picked up in the summers of 2024 general election by the Congress,
00:23which had worked for the Congress and the opposition with the whole Samvidhan Khatre Mein Hain position.
00:28Is Samvidhan still Khatre Mein? is a question that we ask.
00:32Well, Rahul Gandhi today tweeted out on the importance of the constitution, understandably, on Republic Day.
00:39But does constitution still remain a political flashpoint? is the question we ask.
00:46We, the people of India, have solemnly resolved to constitute India into a sovereign, democratic republic
00:54and to secure to all its citizens, justice, social, economic, political and equality of status and opportunity.
01:04If I adopt, enact and give ourselves this constitution.
01:10January 26th, 1950
01:12India's constitution came into force, laying the foundation for the world's largest democracy.
01:23This Republic Day, Congress once again brought the constitution into sharp focus,
01:29reaffirming a narrative it first highlighted during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
01:35During last year's general election campaign, Congress leaders championed a save-the-constitution message,
01:42making it a core part of their platform.
01:46The message resonated with voters and helped the Congress secure 99 seats in Lok Sabha.
01:52On Monday, as the nation celebrated its 77th Republic Day, Congress President Malik Arjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi
02:02and Priyanka Gandhi Wadra reiterated this message.
02:06Rahul Gandhi described the constitution as the greatest weapon for every Indian,
02:12emphasising that protecting it means protecting the Indian Republic.
02:16Kharge, who unfurled the national flag at his official residence,
02:21stressed the need for all citizens to stand firmly in defence of the constitution's principles and spirit.
02:29The Congress framed its Republic Day message around core constitutional values of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity,
02:38asserting that defending Samvidhan is essentially defending the Indian Republic.
02:42But this narrative is not without controversy.
02:48The ruling Bharatiya Janta Party frequently criticises the Congress,
02:52pointing to the emergency imposed in 1975 by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
02:58Congress leader Vivek Tan Kha also weighed in on the celebration.
03:28Pointing out that during the Republic Day Parade,
03:31Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi was seated in back row.
03:34On Republic Day, the constitution is celebrated as a symbol of India's democratic spirit.
03:59Samvidhan today remains both a legal foundation and a political narrative.
04:07Bureau Report, India Today
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