Nagpur: 'Threat to Constitution,' was the crucial poll plank used by the Congress-led INDI Alliance that paid rich dividends to the Opposition in the recent Lok Sabha elections to stop the BJP from securing a clear majority on its own.
To counter the narrative, the BJP-led Mahayuti government in the state has come out with a "Ghar Ghar Samvidhan' (Constitution at every home) ostensibly to mark the 75th anniversary of Indian Constitution in academic year 2024-25. A government resolution was issued by the state on this subject on Mahaparinirvan Day (Oct 14).
The Opposition and mainly the Congress have used the statute book as a stick to beat the BJP for the past few years. Its narrative that the BJP would either dump the Constitution or change it beyond recognition hit home in the general elections earlier this year halting the BJP in its tracks from reaching its goal of '400 par.'
Later the Congress icon Rahul Gandhi and several of its leaders were seen waiving pocket-sized Constitution on the day the newly -elected members took oath in the new Parliament under Modi 3.0.
In a smart move, the ‘Ghar Ghar Samvidhan’ initiative, a brainchild of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, aims at promoting awareness about the Indian Constitution among students in schools, colleges, and educational institutions, educating them about their rights, duties, and core values enshrined in the statute.
The Mahayuti government is hopeful that the initiative would help it in the state Assembly elections especially in Vidarbha region where approximately 16 percent of population is of Dalits and tribals make 9 per cent. Of the 288 Assembly seats in the state, 29 are reserved for SC candidates and 25 for the ST candidates, SC, ST and OBCs hold the Constitution sacred as it is associated with Babasaheb Ambedkar and grants them reservation. By spreading awareness on the statute book, the Mahayuti is hoping to win back votes of the backward classes.
"The move by the government is timely and in the right direction," said Dharmapal Meshram, a Dalit leader and a state BJP general secretary. "A false narrative was built against the BJP by the Congress and its allies. The 'Ghar Ghar Samvidhan' plan would counter the anti-statute narrative against the BJP," he said.
However, state Congress chief spokesman Atul Londhe termed the initiative as a “poll gimmick” which will be rejected in state elections. "People, particularly the Dalits, have realised that the BJP is anti-Dalit, and all such measures are aimed at garnering votes," Londhe said.
To ensure execution of the ‘Ghar Ghar Samvidhan’ initiative, a 12-member state-level committee will be formed under the chairmanship of Maharashtra’s chief secretary. At the district level, a seven-member committee led by the district collector will supervise the local rollout of the initiative, ensuring every school and educational institution participates in the celebration of 75 years of the Constitution.
