Modi reaches out to opposition in constitution debate

The Prime Minister also appreciated Sonia Gandhi’s speech, who had earlier pointed out to Home Minister Rajnath Singh that whether the government like it or not, Congress had an integral role in drafting of our Constitution.

“Dignity for Indians and unity for India…this is what our Constitution is about”, said the prime minister who was the last one to speak on the issue. Constitution of India lays down the framework defining fundamental political principles, establishes the structure, procedures, powers and duties of government institutions and sets out fundamental rights, directive principles and the duties of citizens.

– The Indian Constitution copies, are preserved in special helium-filled cases, in Indian Parliament’s library.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will intervene in the discussion in both Houses.

However, Mr Modi did not specifically refer to any recent incidents arising out of intolerance, nor did he touch on the debate raging in the country over such incidents.

It seems to me that the biggest thing is that Prime Minister has given befitting reply to all those people who for a long time have been trying to malign his image in the context of intolerance. But I am speaking now, expressing my views, just as any other person here did.

“I don’t think he should be restricted to such a narrow purview”, the Home Minister said.

“Many individuals worked hard for it and their contribution in making the constitution is vast”, he said in the Lok Sabha while participating in a discussion on “Commitment to the Constitution” as part of the 125th birth anniversary celebrations of Bhimrao Ambedkar.

“If we wish to maintain democracy, we must maintain and uphold Constitutional measures”.

Sonia said that the Constitution was organically linked to the Congress which had sent its leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel and Maulana Azad to the Constituent Assembly. “Man can not be immortal but constitution has to be”, he said quoting a framer of the American constitution.

Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday cautioned the Narendra Modi government against any attempt to alter the constitution, asserting his party will never let it happen. “The country has the internal energy amassed over thousands of years which gives it the stimulus and capacity to deal with crises”, Modi said. The three objections include the demand for specifying the proposed 18% rate in the Constitution bill, opposition to additional 1% levy on inter-state movement of goods and 100% compensation to states for revenue loss for five years.