Prime Minister Modi Critiques Gandhi Family's Constitutional Amendments

New Delhi, Dec 14 (NationPress) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Gandhi family for their repeated alterations to the Constitution after they "tasted blood," accusing them of compromising the essence of the statute for self-serving purposes, electoral politics, and arrogance.

During the second day of discussions commemorating 75 years since the Constitution's adoption, PM Modi condemned the Congress party for its pattern of constitutional amendments, a practice that began with the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and persisted through former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.

"Once they tasted blood, they craved it repeatedly," he stated, alluding to the declaration of Emergency and the alteration of the Supreme Court's 1985 ruling in the Shah Bano case.

He emphasized that the Constitution underwent 75 amendments in 55 years, with the initial groundwork laid by the First PM, further cultivated by PM Indira Gandhi and her descendants. He noted that this family has consistently opposed reservation policies and worked against Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's vision for reservation, including the enactment of the Mandal Commission report.

As Congress members rose to protest during PM Modi's criticism of the Gandhi family, he reiterated that he was merely presenting facts regarding their disregard for the Constitution.

He also highlighted his government's constitutional reforms aimed at granting constitutional recognition to the OBC Commission, women's reservation, abrogating Article 370, and instituting quotas for economically weaker sections among the general category, among other initiatives intended to enhance the dignity of citizens.

"To overturn a Supreme Court ruling from 1971, the Constitution was amended. Indira Gandhi removed the judicial oversight of Parliament’s right to amend the Constitution, including Fundamental Rights," he stated during his speech that lasted one hour and 46 minutes.

Reflecting on the Emergency, PM Modi accused former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of undermining democracy and disrespecting the Constitution by enacting the 39th amendment, which stripped citizens of their rights and suppressed the judiciary and media.

The 39th Amendment, passed 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 remarked that the concept of a "Committed Judiciary" was propagated by her, adding that Justice H.R. Khanna, who dissented during the Emergency, was barred from becoming Chief Justice of India.

He stated that innocent individuals were imprisoned, and atrocities were committed against citizens due to the Gandhi family's ingrained habit of altering the Constitution.

Referring to the Shah Bano ruling by the Supreme Court in 1985 that provided alimony to disadvantaged Muslim widows, he mentioned that former PM Rajiv Gandhi amended the Constitution to reverse this decision, driven by vote bank politics and appeasing fundamentalists.

PM Modi asserted that the current generation of Rajiv Gandhi's lineage continues this trend of disrespecting and manipulating the Constitution.

Citing excerpts from a book by former PM Manmohan Singh, he noted that Singh's government was answerable to the party, and the party leader had become a central figure of power.

"This marked the first time the Constitution faced such severe violations that an unconstitutional body, the 'National Advisory Council,' was established above the democratically elected Prime Minister," PM Modi stated amidst chants of "shame."

In a subtle reference to Rahul Gandhi's 2013 act of tearing a document linked to a Union Cabinet ordinance aimed at protecting convicted legislators from disqualification, PM Modi remarked that an arrogant individual had torn the document, compelling the Cabinet to alter its decision.

He concluded by stating that the newer generation of the Gandhi family is perpetuating the legacy of attacking the Constitution after having "tasted blood" long ago.

Earlier, he noted, "The Congress did not adhere to its own Constitution and made Nehru the leader despite state units supporting Sardar Patel."