Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, while wishing the nation on the occasion of Constitution Day on Friday, November 26, said justice and rights should be ensured equal for everyone so that the Constitution does not become just a paper. “It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure the same,” he said.

His comments came soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi seemed to attack the Congress with his remarks on dynasty politics. Addressing Parliament on the occasion of Constitution Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it is not good for a healthy democracy “if a party is run by one family for many generations”.

WATCH | Constitution Day: Congress, other Oppn parties to skip PM Modi’s address

Earlier, the Congress and several other Opposition parties, including RJD, DMK, CPI(M), CPI, decided to boycott the Constitution Day celebrations at the Central Hall of Parliament on Friday, sources said. According to sources, the leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, had reached out to the Opposition parties, calling for a boycott of the celebrations.

Commenting on the boycott of the celebrations, President Ram Nath Kovind said ‘competition in Parliament should not be confused with rivalry’. “It is natural for the members of the ruling party and the Opposition to compete but the competition should be to become better representatives and do better work for the welfare of the people. Only then will it be considered healthy competition. Competition in Parliament should not be confused with rivalry,” Rashtrapati Bhavan tweeted.

He added: “The Opposition is, in fact, the most important element of a democracy. Without an effective opposition, democracy becomes ineffective. It is expected that the government and the Opposition, despite their differences, continue to work together in the best interests of the citizens.”

Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan said: “The opposition to the Constitution Day programme by Congress and other Opposition parties is an insult to all those people, including Babasaheb Ambedkar, whose extraordinary efforts led to the formation of our Constitution.”