Watch | Rahul Gandhi shows copy of Constitution as PM Modi takes oath as member of 18th Lok Sabha: 'Our message is…'

As the 18th Lok Sabha Session began today i.e. on 24 June, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi showed a copy of the Constitution to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he came to take oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha. The video of the incident is now going viral on social media.

Besides Gandhi, other leaders such as Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Trinamool Congress' Sudip Bandyopadhyay, and DMK's TR Baalu gathered at the location where the Gandhi statue formerly stood in the Parliament complex.

While holding copies of the Constitution in their hands, slogans such as "Long live the Constitution," "We will save the Constitution," and “Save our democracy” were raised.

Speaking on this, Rahul Gandhi said that they would not allow the Constitution to be "attacked" by the Prime Minister and Home Minister. “...The attack that the PM and Amit Shah are launching on the Constitution is not acceptable to us, we will not let this happen. So, we held the Constitution while taking the oath...Our message is going across, no power can touch the Constitution of India.”

Earlier in the day, PM Modi took a dig at the opposition and told them to meet the expectations of the people by focusing on substance over slogans and maintaining the dignity of democracy.

Ahead of the commencement of the 18th Lok Sabha, the Prime Minister said, “The people of the country expect good steps from the opposition. I hope that the opposition will live up to the expectations of the common citizens of the country to maintain the dignity of democracy. People do not want drama, disturbance. People want substance, not slogans. The country needs a good opposition, a responsible opposition and I have full faith that the MPs who have won in this 18th Lok Sabha will try to fulfill these expectations of the common man.”

(With inputs from agencies)