POWER OF THE COMMON MAN

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: Three days after the BJP failed to secure a majority on its own in the Lok Sabha polls, all newly elected MPs of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) which is set to assume power, were invited to Parliament on Friday where Prime Minister Narendra Modi did the unexpected.

During the event, he did something which his critics claim he hasn't done in his 10 years in power; he paid his respects to the Constitution of India by putting it to his forehead.

The main opposition party, Congress was quick to react taking a dig at him calling him a 'hypocrite' for the act.

The Grand Old Party had throughout its poll campaign, claimed that Modi was promoting a 'Hindu-Muslim divide' in his speeches and was pressing for upward of 400 seats in the Lok Sabha to amend the Constitution.

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh called Modi a "one-third Prime Minister," saying, "There is no limit to the hypocrisy of a third Prime Minister. Today, he touched the Constitution to his forehead—the same Constitution he has continuously ignored for 10 years and for which he was demanding 400 seats to carry out the decades-long conspiracy of the RSS-BJP."

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said the act was a forced measure rather than a genuine display of respect. Senior Congress leader P.

Chidambaram too questioned Modi's motives. "What other choice does the PM have now except bow down to the Constitution? The people have given a mandate which has now forced him to bow down," Chidambaram remarked.

Yogendra Yadav, a popular activist, said during a TV debate on Friday, "BJP getting less than 272 seats in the Lok Sabha elections is their political defeat, but getting less than 250 seats is Narendra Modi's personal defeat."

Congress Kerala's X handle thanked Rahul Gandhi for teaching Modi a lesson. "You wouldn't have witnessed this scene if he had got 400 seats. Thank you, @RahulGandhi, for taking the Constitution to every single citizen in the country and reinforcing its reverence and sanctity. Now Modi will be scared to even dream of tampering with it."

"Those who went to change the Constitution bowed their heads in the end. The Constitution is permanent," tweeted the WithPilotSaab handle, known for promoting the ideology of Congress leader Sachin Pilot.

TMC MP Saket Gokhale didn't mince his words. He tweeted, "Finally, the people of India make Modi bow down to the Constitution... a lame-duck PM running a creaky coalition which can crumble anytime. Arrogance = brutally & beautifully shattered."

Vijay Thottathil, a wellknown Congress worker, tweeted on X, "Modi & his army wanted to change & destroy the Constitution but the power of the common man has now made him bow down before the same Constitution! Thank you, Rahul Gandhi, for keeping the Constitution close to your heart. Modi could have destroyed it if he got an absolute majority."

Finally, Modi spoke about the Constitution, and tweeted on X, "Every moment of my life is dedicated to upholding the noble values enshrined in the Constitution of India, given to us by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar.

It is only due to the Constitution that a person like me, born into poverty and in a backward family, is able to serve the nation. Our Constitution gives crores of people hope, strength and dignity.''