New Delhi:

Taking a swipe at Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Union Minister Amit Shah has said that a “54-year-old masquerading as a young leader” alleges that attempts are being made to alter the Constitution without realising that provisions to do so are built into the document. 

Mr Shah, who was speaking in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday during a debate to commemorate 75 years of the Constitution, was referring to Rahul Gandhi and the Congress’ allegations that the BJP wants to amend the document and dilute its character – a move that paid dividends for the party and the opposition INDIA bloc during the Lok Sabha elections. 

“Our Constitution has never been considered immutable. Article 368 has a provision to amend the Constitution. A 54-year-old leader, who calls himself ‘yuva’ (youth), keeps roaming around with the Constitution, claiming that we would change it. I was to say that the provision to amend the Constitution is built in,” Mr Shah said. 

He pointed out that the Congress has made far more changes to the Constitution than the BJP has.

“The Congress ruled for 55 years and made 77 changes to the Constitution. The BJP has ruled for 16 years and made 22 changes. But what was the result? What was the aim of making the changes? Was it to strengthen democracy or stay in power?” he asked, in an apparent reference to Indira Gandhi. 

Rahul Gandhi, who is the MP from Raebareli, has been carrying a copy of the Constitution with him to various events since before the Lok Sabha elections. Mr Shah also took oath as a Member of Parliament on the foundational document. 

Mr Shah said, however, that the copy of the Constitution carried by Mr Gandhi had been exposed as “fake” and “blank”.

New Delhi:

Starting the debate to mark the Constitution’s 75th anniversary in Rajya Sabha, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched an all-out attack on the Congress and accused it of repeatedly trying to undermine the Constitution through amendments.

Targeting the country’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, she referred to the first Constitutional amendment in 1951. “It was essentially to curb the freedom of speech (and expression). India prides itself even today on the freedom of expression. But the first interim government came up with a Constitutional amendment to curb the freedom of speech of Indians. That is because the first Prime Minister of this country deplored press scrutiny of his government even as he publicly praised freedom of press,” she said.

Earlier, during the debate in Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had slammed Congress for the multiple Constitutional amendments during its rule. 

Ms Sitharaman also referred to the arrest of poet-lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri and actor Balraj Sahni in 1949. “During one of the meetings organised for mill workers, Majrooh Sultanpuri recited a poem that was written against Jawaharlal Nehru. Therefore, he had to go to jail. He refused to render an apology and was jailed along with Balraj Sahni, an eminent actor of those days. That is the level of tolerance and today we hold the Constitution in our hand and say freedom of speech, there is a sense of fear in our country,” she said, taking a swipe at Congress leader’s Constitution pitch.

The Finance Minister said the Congress government banned a book, Nehru: A Political Biography, by Michael Edwardes and a film, Kissa Kursi Ka, in 1975 “because it questioned Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, her son and also the Information and Broadcasting Minister then”. In 1988, she said, Salman Rushdie’s book The Satanic Verses was banned. “So, this spree of curtailing the freedom of expression, containing freedom of press happened before 1949 and continues after 1951,” she said.

The amendments brought by Congress governments, Ms Sitharaman said, were not aimed at strengthening democracy but to shield those in power.

The Finance Minister said that in the aftermath of the Second World War, over 50 countries became independent and framed their Constitution. But while many of them have changed it completely, India’s Constitution has stood the test of time.

“Today we are extremely proud of the way India’s democracy is growing. Iit is time to reaffirm our commitment to build India, that is Bharat, that shall uphold the spirit enshrined in this sacred document,” she said.

Ms Sitharaman also referred to amendments brought in to nullify an Allahabad High Court judgment in 1975 against Indira Gandhi in an election malpractices case.

“During the pendency of this case in the Supreme Court, the Congress enacted the 39th Constitutional Amendment Act in 1975 which added Article 392 (A) to the Constitution which says that elections to the President, Vice President, Prime Minister and Lok Sabha Speaker cannot be challenged in any court in the country and it can be done only before a parliamentary committee. Imagine that for a person to save her chair, an amendment was made even before the court judgment,” she said.

The Finance Minister also referred to the Shah Bano case during Rajiv Gandhi’s term as Prime Minister. “After the judgment from the Supreme Court in the Shah Bano case, the Congress (government) passed the Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Divorce Act 1986 which denied Muslim women their right to alimony,” she said.

Referring to the imposition of the Emergency in 1975, she said, “The amendments were not about strengthening democracy but protecting those in power.”

In response, Congress chief and Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said the BJP has never respected the Constitution or the national flag and stressed that there is a danger to the Constitution under this government. Referring to the situation in Bangladesh after Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, he said, “Our brave leader Indira Gandhi divided Pakistan into two parts and liberated Bangladesh… The pride of this country spread across the world. The chaos that is going on there (in Bangladesh), at least these (BJP) people should open their eyes and try to save the minorities there.”

The veteran leader said the BJP never fought for the country. “How can such people talk about Nehru. We need to introspect deeply.”

“It is clear from the debates of the Constituent Assembly that erstwhile leaders of RSS were against the Constitution. Those who hated the flag, Ashok Chakra and the Constitution are today teaching lessons to us on the Constitution,” he said. Prime Minister Modi, he said, should apologise to the people of the country for misleading them by “twisting” Prime Minister Nehru’s letter to states.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra led the opposition’s fightback – to a soundtrack of cheers and jeers – Friday on Day 1 of the Lok Sabha’s big debate, red-flagging a range of issues from the 2017 Unnao rape and last month’s violence in Sambhal, to sharp attacks on the BJP’s ‘plan’ to re-write the Constitution and making a strong pitch for a national caste census, which has been a core demand of the opposition.

The Congress MP, who also slammed the BJP over the use of federal agencies to “censor” rivals – an allegation often levelled by the opposition, particularly before polls, and tossed in the ‘washing machine’ jibe – delivered her maiden speech in response to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s opening remarks.

“A few days ago, some people from the bereaved families of Sambhal came to meet us… there were two children among them – Adnan and Uzair. One was my son’s age (Raihan Vadra is 24) and the other was around 17. Their father was a tailor who had one dream… to see his sons educated.”

“The police shot their father dead… Adnan told me he would grow up to be a doctor and realise his father’s dream… a dream instilled in him by the Constitution of India,” Ms Gandhi Vadra began.

“Our Constitution is our lighthouse, our ‘suraksha kavach‘ (armour providing safety) … it keeps citizens safe. But it is sad that in 10 years colleagues from the ruling side (referring to the BJP), who make tall claims, have made attempts to break down this ‘kavach’,” she said in a slow and deliberate speech.

“Work to break this ‘kavach‘ has already begun,” Ms Gandhi Vadra warned the Lower House, echoing warnings by Congress leaders, led by her brother Rahul Gandhi, and other opposition MPs- that the BJP, emboldened by a third consecutive term, will alter the Constitution at a basic level.

Ms Gandhi Vadra’s attacks included underlining the opposition’s demand for a caste census.

“… acaste census is the need of the hour but they trivialise it by discussing things like mangalsutras,” she said referring to the row over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comment this year, before the April-May federal election, about the Congress robbing people of their wealth to give to “infiltrators”.

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“He (the Prime Minister) says the Congress wants to take away your gold.. your mangalsutra. The country has been independent for 70 years… the Congress ruled for 55. Did anyone rob you of your gold or mangalsutra? Indira Gandhi gave her gold… my mother sacrificed her mangalsutra…”

“Today people demand a Caste Census. A colleague from the ruling side (Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, whose Republican Party of India (A) is a BJP ally) also mentioned this. A caste census is essential so we know the condition of everyone and policies can be made accordingly,” she said.

“Today people demand a Caste Census to understand the nation’s reality… but the government evades responsibility, often citing events from 1929 or questioning (former Prime Minister Jawaharlal) Nehru’s actions. What is your responsibility?” she asked to rousing cheers from the Congress MPs.