Our govt strengthening Constitution, Cong repeatedly mutilated it: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused the Congress of repeatedly mutilating the Constitution having tasted blood in its greed for power as he asserted that his governments policies and decisions since 2014 have been aimed at boosting Indias strength and unity in line with the vision of the ConstitutionReplying to a twoday discussion in the Lok Sabha on The glorious journey of 75 years of the Constitution of India he claimed that destroying the spirit of the Constitution is in the veins of the Congress while his government holds its sacredness and integrity paramountWith the opposition INDIA bloc running a campaign against his government for its alleged bid to weaken and change the Constitution Modi put up a stout defence of his commitment to the countrys founding documentHe said leaders like him and many others coming from ordinary families could never have reached where they did but for the strength of the Constitution as he underlined his long adherence to its valuesOur Constitution is the basis of our unity he said emphasising that unity is the biggest requirement to achieve the goal of India becoming a developed country by 2047He wrapped up his over 110minute speech proposing 11 resolutions aimed at shaping Indias future including upholding existing reservations for marginalised sections and ruling out any religionbased quotaHe said the Constituent Assembly had taken a considered decision against religionbased reservation but the Congress has been pushing for it to appease its vote bank an apparent reference to MuslimsThe 11 resolutions included a call for ending dynastic politics promoting meritocracy over nepotism in governance and a pledge of zero tolerance to corruptionModi was searing in his criticism of the Congress especially the NehruGandhi family alleging that its members repeatedly struck blows to the Constitution by amending it to cling to power and to appease their vote bankEnjoyment of power and greed for it is the history and present of the Congress The next generation of the NehruGandhi family is also in the same game after former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi amended the Constitution in their greed for power he said in his over 110minute addressUnlike them he said his government amended the Constitution to further its spirit to empower the backward and disadvantaged sections of society and to further the countrys unity and integrityBesides numerous welfare measures of his government he cited the introduction of the GST and reservation for the economically weaker section and the repeal of Article 370 to make his pointIn a swipe at the past Congress governments he accused them of planting poisonous seeds in the countrys diversity to accentuate its contradictions and damage its unityHe counted Nehrus amendment of the Constitution to put restrictions on the freedom of speech Indira Gandhis imposition of Emergency to keep her hold of power to negate a Supreme Court order annulling her election as MP and Rajiv Gandhis amendment to overturn the courts judgment in the Shah Bano case among numerous instances of the familys alleged power grabNehru had written to chief ministers that if the Constitution comes in their way it should be amended Modi saidTargeting Leader of Opposition in the House Rahul Gandhi Modi said an arrogant person tore a Cabinet decision of the Congressled UPA government and his mother Sonia Gandhi headed the National Advisory Council that was put above the prime ministers office at that time The prime minister though did not take their namesThe family left no stone unturned to strike blows to the Constitution This family challenged the Constitution at every level he said adding that he was singling out the family as its members were in power for 55 yearsAs chief minister of Gujarat he said his government celebrated the 60th year of the Constitutions adoption by placing a copy of the document on an elephant while he walked underneath barefoot in a symbolic gesture to highlight its supremacyIndira Gandhi as prime minister throttled Indias democracy and mutilated the Constitution when the 25th year of its adoption was approaching to save her chair as prime minister he said noting that she also effected an amendment to protect the president vice president and herself from any legal challenge to their position with a retrospective effectThe country was turned into jail and the judiciary was stifled This sin of the Congress can never be washed off Modi assertedWhile the makers of the Constitution took a considered decision to disallow reservation on the basis of religion and faith in the interest of the countrys unity and integrity the Congress in its greed for power and to appease its vote bank pushed for it in violation of the constitutional spirit he saidHe cited his governments decisions like granting constitutional status to the OBC commission giving health coverage to the poor boosting infrastructure in remote parts of the country providing free ration to the poor and pushing for saturation coverage of welfare schemes without any discrimination to highlight its works in line with the spirit of the ConstitutionHe hailed Indias journey since the adoption of the Constitution in 1949 as extraordinary asserting that the countrys ancient democratic roots have long been an inspiration for the worldIndia is not only a big democracy but it is now acknowledged as the mother of democracy he saidModi said India defied all apprehensions about its democratic future after independence and added that its Constitution has brought the country to this stageHe paid tributes to the makers of the Constitution and the countrys citizens for living up to the spirit of its makersThose involved in the making of the Constitution were well aware that India was not born in 1947 or turned democratic in 1950 he said citing remarks of eminent personalities like Purushottam Das Tandon and Bhim Rao AmbedkarWomen were given voting rights by the Constitution Modi said adding the country is now seeing womenled developmentHe lauded the parliamentarians for the unanimous passage of the law to give reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and state assembliesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever