Senior Congress leader and three-time MLA T. Jagga Reddy strongly defended Rahul Gandhi and his ‘Samvidhan Bachao’ campaign, alleging that the Constitution and democratic values were under threat during the rule of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr. Jagga Reddy said Rahul Gandhi’s message was aimed at protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens. Comparing the Constitution to the protective armour of Karna in the Mahabharata, he said: “Just as Karna remained safe as long as he had his ‘kavach and kundalas’, the people are protected as long as the Constitution remains intact.”

He said Rahul Gandhi should become the next Prime Minister to “protect the Constitution and democratic values.” People must remain vigilant to safeguard their voting rights and constitutional freedoms.

Highlighting the contributions of the Congress party and the Nehru-Gandhi family, Mr. Jagga Reddy said India’s democratic systems were strengthened under the leadership of former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. He credited Pandit Nehru with establishing key national institutions, Indira Gandhi with bank nationalisation and land reforms, and Rajiv Gandhi with laying the foundation for India’s IT sector and expanding voting rights for youth.

The Congress leader alleged that the BJP had politicised religion and accused the ruling party of undermining democratic systems. He accused the BJP of using religion for electoral gains while asserting that Congress leaders respected all faiths without seeking votes in the name of religion.

Referring to Telangana traditions, he said he personally organised grand Sita Rama Kalyanam celebrations but never sought political mileage from religious events. Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Jagga Reddy alleged that arrogance had overtaken governance and said history would eventually judge leaders who failed to respect democratic principles and public sentiment.