Kharge reaffirms Congress' commitment to protecting the Constitution in his 'Sadbhavana Diwas' address

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 21 : Indian National Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge reaffirmed the party's dedication to protecting the Constitution during his 'Sadbhavana Diwas' address on Tuesday, which marked the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

In his speech to a public gathering in Mumbai, Kharge emphasized, "Our top priority remains safeguarding the Constitution."

He stressed the importance of having a strong presence in state governments and among elected representatives to protect the Constitution. "To preserve the Constitution, we need a majority in the states and in the Rajya Sabha. Without our governments in the states and elected MLAs, it becomes difficult to secure seats in the Rajya Sabha," Kharge explained.

Kharge also criticized the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government's controversial advertisement for lateral entry into government positions, which was later withdrawn. This advertisement aimed to recruit individuals from the private sector for high-ranking government roles but faced opposition from various groups. The central government withdrew it following significant pressure from Congress and other political and public entities.

"The Modi government retracted this decision due to your strong reaction. If the Modi government had had its way, it would have appointed RSS affiliates to these positions without considering reservations," Kharge stated.

Recently, the UPSC announced a notification for the recruitment of Joint Secretaries, Directors, and Deputy Secretaries through lateral entry. However, due to criticism, the Department of Personnel and Training requested the UPSC to cancel the advertisement.