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Highlighting the BJP government’s achievements and efforts to uphold the Constitutional values, PM Narendra Modi gave 11 sankalps or resolves for people, one of them being freedom from dynastic politics
PM Narendra Modi said his government amended the Constitution for the larger good. (PTI File)
From the Congress, history of India to the Gandhi family and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government’s various initiatives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi touched upon a number of topics as he spoke during the two-day debate on ‘Discussion on the Glorious Journey of 75 Years of the Constitution of India’ in the Lok Sabha on Saturday.
“India’s Constitution has brought us so ahead, negating all negative possibilities cited at the time of Independence. The citizens are worthy of congratulations for passing the test. India is now known as the mother of democracy. We gave birth to democracy. India is the mother of democracy in the world,” said Modi.
“When the country was completing 50 years of the Constitution, the Emergency was imposed. Citizens’ rights were snatched away. The Congress can never wash off this taint from its forehead. It had strangled democracy. It was a dark chapter in the history of the nation. People will never forgive them,” said Modi, adding, “One family of the Congress has crushed the Constitution…only one family was ruling for 55 years. The biggest jumla for four generations of a family was ‘garibi hatao’…Jinko koi nahi poochhta, unko Modi pujta hai.”
A look at the highlights of Modi’s speech:
ATTACK ON CONGRESS
In a strong attack on the Congress he said, “One family of the Congress, which ruled over India for 55 years, damaged the Constitution. From 1947 to 52, there was no elected government. In 1951, the Congress brought in an ordinance and changed the Constitution and attacked freedom of speech. This was an insult to the founders of the Constitution, Nehru committed a sin. He was not an elected PM then…”
Modi further added: “Nehru also wrote to the CMs asking them to change the Constitution, if it becomes a roadblock. Dr Rajendra Prasad objected to it, but Nehru refused to budge, despite the advice of many.”
“The Constitution changed several times since — Indira Gandhi did so too. Khoon muh pe lag gaya tha. Nehru did a sin, Indira did the same. The SC decision was changed in 1971 by Indira through Constitutional change and the wings of judiciary were clipped. When Indira’s election was struck down and she had to leave the MP post, she imposed the Emergency to save her chair.”
“In 1975, the Constitution was damaged. The Congress will never be able to wash away this sin…The 39th amendment was then done, which meant that election wins of top posts such as PM cannot be challenged in court. It was done with retrospective effect. The judge who ruled against Indira (HR Khanna) was not allowed to be made the SC CJI,” Modi said.
“Rajiv Gandhi also damaged the Constitution by overturning Shah Bano judgment for vote bank politics…Ex-PM Manmohan Singh had said in a book that the Congress president is the centre of governance…For the first time in history, a non-constitutional body NAC was made to sit above the PM and PMO,” said the PM.
In the next generation, the cabinet decision was torn by Rahul Gandhi in arrogance; and the decision was changed.
The Congress does not follow its own party constitution. “Twelve PCCs had backed Sardar Patel for PM, none backed Nehru…Former Congress president Sitaram Kesari was member of an extremely backward community. He was locked in the bathroom and thrown on the road…The Congress was captured by one family.”
ON RESERVATION AND AMBEDKAR
PM Modi said the PMs of the Congress opposed reservation proposed by Ambedkar. “The Mandal Commission report was put in the dustbin. The OBC got reservation when the Congress went out of power. It was a sin by the Congress. The Congress did their best to give religion-based reservation for votebank politics, despite our Constitution makers being against it. They gave in a few instances, but the court rejected it…We made Babasaheb Ambedkar Memorial in Delhi…We built Ambedkar International Centre in Delhi…Ambedkar was given Bharat Ratna when the Congress went out of power.”
ON UNIFORM CIVIL CODE
“Ambedkar had said personal laws based on religion should be finished. The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) was proposed by Samvidhan Sabha…The SC, too, has asked for UCC and directed governments. We will bring the secular civil code…But it does not suit politics of opposition parties,” he said.
PM ON ATAL GOVERNMENTS
“We ran the government for 13 days under the spirit of the Constitution. Atal ji did not choose politics of adjustment…In 1998, we had the NDA government running, but effort was made to make the Atal government unstable. We could have bought MPs then, but Atal ji chose to lose by one vote rather than go for unconstitutional means…In cash for votes scam, currency wads were put on parliament floor; votes were bought, sin was done,” said Modi.
BJP’S CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
According to PM Modi, the BJP government also brought about several Constitutional amendments, but for the larger good. “We did it for OBC pride…10% EWS reservation…women’s reservation bill for their empowerment. An MP who tore the women’s reservation bill in the past is now Opposition’s margdarshak. We abrogated Article 370 on danke ki chot, the SC upheld it…We brought the CAA,” he said.
ON GOVERNMENT’S ACHIEVEMENTS
“In India, the biggest jumla ever was “garibi hatao”, which was used by four generations of a family,” said Modi, adding, “We gave toilets to poor for their dignity. The Congress did not know about life of the poor. We are giving tap drinking water to poor. We gave cylinders to the poor. We gave Ayushman Bharat to the poor. We gave free ration to the poor, hand-holding which is necessary for the poor. We gave bank accounts to 50 crore poor people. We did DBT to send full money to the poor. The poor can take loans without guarantee from banks. We brought women reservation bill. We aim to become the third largest economy.”
Modi said, “Article 370 abrogation was for the country’s unity. We brought in GST for economic unity; earlier government also had a contribution to it. We brought in ‘one nation one tax’, ‘one nation one ration card’, ‘one nation one health card’, ‘one nation one grid’, ‘one nation one infrastructure’. We pushed for mother tongue in NEP. We got a common sign language for the disabled…We gave schemes for Vishwakarma and transgenders. The Ujjwala scheme gave women respite from smoke. We worked for small farmers, cooperatives, fisherfolk and advisasis…True secularism is in saturation of government schemes for all.”
11 SANKALPS
PM Modi also gave 11 sankalps or resolves for the nation – Do your duty; sabka saath sabka vikas; zero tolerance for corruption; feeling of pride in following rules and law; freedom from colonial mindset; freedom from dynastic politics; respect the Constitution, don’t use it for political gain; don’t take away reservation and stop religion-based reservation; making India an example of women-led development; state to country’s vikas; and Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.
With Inputs from Aman Sharma
