PM Modi Critiques Gandhi Family for Constitutional Amendments
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New Delhi, Dec 14 (NationPress) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday criticized the Gandhi family for their continuous amendments to the Constitution, which he argued murder its spirit in pursuit of personal interests, vote bank politics, and arrogance.
During the second day of discussions commemorating 75 years since the Constitution's adoption, PM Modi condemned the Congress party for developing a pattern of constitutional amendments, a trend that began with the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and persisted through former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.
“The Constitution has been amended 75 times in 55 years, with the roots planted by the First PM being nurtured by PM Indira Gandhi and her descendants,” he stated, adding that these leaders have consistently opposed reservation and worked against Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s vision for reservation, including the execution of the Mandal Commission report.
As Congress members attempted to interrupt PM Modi’s remarks concerning the Gandhi family, the PM steadfastly reminded them that he was merely presenting facts regarding the historical disrespect shown towards the Constitution.
“To overturn a Supreme Court ruling in 1971, the Constitution was amended. The clause permitting judicial oversight of Parliament’s authority to amend the Constitution, including Fundamental Rights, was abolished by PM Indira Gandhi,” he remarked.
Reflecting on the Emergency period, PM Modi asserted that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi destroyed democracy and disrespected the Constitution through the introduction of the 39th amendment, which curtailed citizens' rights and silenced the judiciary and media.
The 39th Amendment of the Indian Constitution, enacted on August 10, 1975, exempted the elections of the President, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Speaker of the Lok Sabha from judicial review, he noted.
PM Modi emphasized that the notion of a “Committed Judiciary” was fostered by her, mentioning that Justice H.R. Khanna, who dissented against the Emergency imposition, was barred from becoming the Chief Justice of India.
Innocent citizens were imprisoned, and atrocities were perpetrated against individuals, a result of the Gandhi family’s entrenched habit of amending the Constitution, he stated.
Referring to the Shah Bano ruling by the Supreme Court in 1985, which granted alimony to helpless Muslim widows, he pointed out that former PM Rajiv Gandhi amended the Constitution to reverse this ruling for the sake of vote bank politics and appeasing fundamentalists.
PM Modi claimed that the next generation of PM Rajiv Gandhi continues this practice of disrespecting and altering the Constitution.
Quoting from a book by former PM Manmohan Singh, he mentioned that the government under Manmohan Singh was accountable to the party, with the party leader emerging as a center of power.
“This marked the first instance where the Constitution faced such severe blows, as an unconstitutional entity, the ‘National Advisory Council,’ was placed above the democratically elected Prime Minister,” PM Modi declared amid shouts of “shame.”
In a subtle reference to Rahul Gandhi’s 2013 incident of tearing a document related to a Union Cabinet ordinance aimed at saving convicted legislators from disqualification, PM Modi remarked that an arrogant individual tore the document, compelling the Cabinet to alter its decision.
