PM slams Opposition over 'Constitution in pocket', recalls Gujarat row

In an apparent dig at Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said some people "take out the Constitution from their pocket" and think democracy is "in their pocket", adding that though "they are not in government", they have "a different intoxication of power". Speaking at  Agriculture Conference in New Delhi,  Modi did not name any party or leader."These days, some people take out the Constitution from their pocket. They think that the nation's Constitution and its democracy are right there in their pockets. PM Modi recalled an incident from his tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister, when the state was ranked number one in an assessment of the best-performing states on the economy.According to PM Modi, the ranking was based on research conducted by well-known economists. However, those in power in Delhi at the time “could not bear Gujarat’sreputation" and went after the people who conducted the research. “These are the same people who preach about martyrdom and democracy. This was a long time ago, and you can find out what happened after this by doing research," he said.

#WATCH | Delhi: At the Kisan Tak Bharat Agriculture Conference 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "These days, some people carry the Constitution in their pockets—as if the Constitution and the democracy of this nation belong to them... What was their track record like when they were actually in power? Let me share a brief anecdote to illustrate this. You might recall a time when the media used to rank states based on their performance. In one such ranking related to the economy, Gujarat secured the number one spot—back when I was the Chief Minister of Gujarat. The organisation that awarded this top ranking to Gujarat was named after a former Prime Minister of the country; that hint should be enough—you can easily figure out the name yourselves... However, those in power in Delhi at the time did not take kindly to Gujarat receiving such recognition. They explicitly instructed the researchers that this would not be tolerated, mandating that any future reports must be approved by them before publication. That was the situation back then—and yet, today, those very same people go around lecturing others on tolerance and democracy. As for when this incident took place and what followed—well, you can certainly look that up for yourselves..." (Source: DD News)

— ANI (@ANI) November 12, 2026

He emphasised the importance of agricultural modernisation, crop diversification and technology in achieving the vision of a developed India, saying the country’s progress was closely linked to the prosperity of its farmers. The Prime Minister said agriculture was deeply connected with India’s cultural and social traditions. He cited festivals such as Bihu, Pongal, Onam, Baisakhi, Sarhul and Pola as examples of the close relationship between farming and Indian culture.  “Agriculture and farming are our culture, our tradition, and the foundation of our social life,” he said.
Highlighting the government’s efforts over the past decade, he said India’s annual agricultural exports had crossed Rs 4 lakh crore. The country ranked first globally in the production of milk, pulses, jute, rice and millets, and second in wheat, cotton, fruits, vegetables and fish production. “These are not merely a few figures, they show how much the capability of India’s farmers has increased,” he said.