New Delhi/IBNS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Congress Party and Rahul Gandhi over remarks by the party's South Goa candidate, accusing them of insulting BR Ambedkar's Constitution while attempting to break the country.

Addressing a public meeting on Monday, Congress's South Goa candidate Viriato Fernandes had said the Indian Constitution was "forced" on Goa after its liberation from Portuguese rule and that he had conveyed his concern to senior party leader Rahul Gandhi ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Referring to the remarks, PM Modi at a rally in Chhattisgarh's Mahasamund on Tuesday, said: "The Congress's Goa candidate is saying that the Constitution of India does not apply to the state. He has clearly said the Constitution was forced upon Goa and that he had said this to Congress' 'shahzada' (prince) in the past."

PM Modi has been regularly using the 'shahzada' jibe, as a reference to the Congress' "dynastic politics" and its MP from Wayanad Rahul Gandhi.

"Is this not an insult to Babasaheb Ambedkar and the Constitution? Is this not meddling with the Constitution? This is all part of a well-thought-out conspiracy to break the country. Today, they are negating the Constitution in Goa, tomorrow they will try to negate BR Ambedkar's Constitution all over India," PM Modi said.

The PM's remarks drew significance, especially in the wake of the Congress's allegations that the BJP wants to change the Constitution if it is elected for a third term.

This was also stated by BJP's six-time MP from the Uttara Kannada constituency, Anant Hegde, who had said the party had set a target of 400 Lok Sabha seats for the NDA so that the Constitution could be amended.

Following the comment, Hegde was kept out of the list of candidates for the Lok Sabha polls.

Countering the Congress' charge, PM Modi said, "Leave aside the BJP, even Babasaheb Ambedkar himself cannot abolish the Constitution."

Fernandes, who had met Rahul Gandhi as part of an NGO, 'Goencho Away', which was pressing for dual citizenship for Goans who have opted for Portuguese passports, had said, "We (during a meeting with the Congress leader in a hotel near Panaji) raised 12 demands before Mr Gandhi, and one of them was about (granting) dual citizenship. Mr Gandhi asked me whether the demand was constitutional. We said no."

He said the senior Congress leader had told the delegation that the demand would not be considered if it was not constitutional.