The BJP on Sunday distanced itself from the controversial remarks by its Uttara Kannada MP, Anantkumar Hegde, wherein he had said that the ruling party needs two-thirds majority in both Houses of the Parliament in order to introduce "any changes" to the Constitution as it wishes. The BJP said that the statement was made by Hegde in his personal capacity.

'BJP Has Taken Cognizance'

"Anantkumar Hegde, who is a member of Parliament of the BJP, has made a statement. It is imperative that it is made clear: the statement reflects his personal views and is not a statement that reflects the views of the BJP with clarity. The party has taken cognizance of this statement made by Mr Hegde and has also asked for clarification from him," BJP leader Gaurav Bhatia said.

Bhatia added, "It must be reiterated that every step that is taken by the BJP, every decision that is taken by the BJP is always in the interest of our country and in consonance with the spirit of the constitution."

Karnataka BJP In Damage Control Mode

The Karnataka unit of the BJP also moved to contain the row triggered by Hegde's statements, saying that the party maintains "unwavering commitment to uphold the nation's Constitution".

"MP Shri Ananth Kumar Hegde's remarks on the Constitution are his personal views and do not reflect the party's stance. [BJP] reaffirms our unwavering commitment to uphold the nation's Constitution and will ask for an explanation from Shri Hegde regarding his comments," BJP Karnataka posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

Vote Appeal At Centre Of Controversy

Addressing a gathering in Karnataka's Uttara Kannada district, Hegde had said, "They (Congress) have changed the Constitution and brought laws to oppress the entire Hindu society. If all this is to be changed, it will not happen with this minority vote. Both sides need a 2/3 majority."

"This time PM Modi has said that he should win more than 400 seats. Why 400? We have a majority in the Lok Sabha, but not in the Rajya Sabha. We need 400 seats to make any changes in the Constitution. We need a 2/3 majority in Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and also in the states. Just the majority in Lok Sabha is not enough," the Lok Sabha MP said further.

Opposition Attacks BJP

Reacting sharply to Hegde's vote appeal, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said the BJP MP's remarks were a "public declaration" of the "hidden agenda" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government and the 'Sangha Parivar'. "The ultimate goal of Narendra Modi and the BJP is to destroy Baba Saheb's Constitution. They hate justice, equality, civil rights and democracy," Rahul Gandhi said in a post (originally in Hidi) on X.