Calling the Constitution the “protective shield of the poor”, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday urged citizens to pledge that they will “not allow any attack” on it, asserting that he would be the first to stand up against any such assault.

In a Constitution Day message on X, Gandhi said the document is “a sacred promise” guaranteeing equality, respect and justice to every Indian, regardless of religion, caste, region, language or economic status.

“As long as the Constitution is protected, the rights of every Indian are protected,” the Leader of Opposition said. “It is my duty to protect it.”

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also marked the occasion by stressing the need to uphold the Constitution’s fundamental values, justice, equality, liberty, fraternity, secularism and socialism.

Quoting B.R. Ambedkar, he said the Constitution represents “a way of life” and paid tribute to the leaders of the Constituent Assembly, including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Subhas Chandra Bose, Maulana Azad, Rajendra Prasad, Sarojini Naidu and Ambedkar.

Kharge called for renewed commitment to safeguard democratic freedoms and preserve national unity, harmony and brotherhood.

Constitution Day, or Samvidhan Diwas, has been observed on November 26 since 2015 to mark the adoption of the Constitution by the Constituent Assembly in 1949.

(With inputs from PTI)