NEW DELHI: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan attacked the Congress on Tuesday for insulting inquiry agencies, claiming that the opposition party has never respected the Constitution.

The senior BJP official used the example of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tearing up an ordinance approved by the Cabinet led by then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to accuse the opposition party of total disdain for constitutional values. 

He was referring to Gandhi's decision to tear up the ordinance introduced by the then-Congress-led UPA government in 2013 to allow persons convicted of crimes to run in elections. The minister also referred to the Congress government's declaration of an emergency in 1975 in order to criticise the party.

On Tuesday, police detained Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and several other party MPs at Vijay Chowk in New Delhi after they held a demonstration over Sonia Gandhi's grilling by the Enforcement Directorate in the National Herald case. 

The minister said the opposition party, saying it could not make such assertions after consistently violating constitutional ideals when in power.

"Those who forced an emergency in defiance of constitutional ideals, it does not suit them" (to make such allegations). They have never exhibited any regard for the Constitution. Even when a Congress prime minister was present, Rahul Gandhi tore a Union Cabinet ordinance," Pradhan said.

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