Brazenly Amended Constitution to Help One Family: Nirmala Sitharaman Slams Congress

New Delhi: The two-day Constitution Debate held between BJP -led NDA Alliance and the INDI in Lok Sabha is now taking place in the Upper House of the Parliament today and tomorrow. The discussions for the Rajya Sabha Constitution Debate Day 1 have been led by the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman , who in her speech, has highlighted the importance and significance of the Constitution of India.

FM Nirmala Sitharaman Leads Constitution Debate in Rajya Sabha

India's Constitution has stood the test of time in the last 75 years of its existence, even as most of the 50 countries that framed their constitution around the same time have rewritten or changed features of their constitutions, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday. Initiating the discussion on the 'Glorious Journey of 75 Years of the Constitution of India' in the Rajya Sabha, she paid homage to the 389 members of the Constituent Assembly, including 15 women, who took up the arduous challenge and prepared the Constitution for India in a very challenging environment.

‘Constitution of India Has Stood the Test of Time’

The Constitution of India "has stood the test of time," she said. "Today we are extremely proud of the way India's democracy is growing." As the country marks the 75th year of its Constitution, "it is time to reaffirm our commitment to build India, that is Bharat, that shall uphold the spirit enshrined in this sacred document," she said.

Stating that India and its Constitution stands out in a separate league of its own, Sitharaman said post second World War, over 50 countries had become independent and they had their constitution written. "But many have changed their constitutions, not just amended them, but literally changed the entire feature of their constitution. But our Constitution has stood the test of time, ofcourse, it yielded itself to very many amendments," she said, adding the amendments were the need of the hour.

Nirmala Sitharaman Slams Congress Over Amendments to Help Family

In Rajya Sabha, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says, "...The Congress party brazenly kept amending the Constitution to help the family and dynasty... These amendments were not to strengthen democracy but to protect those in power, the process was used to strengthen the family."

FM Attacks Congress Over Imposing Emergency in India

Sitharaman also slammed the Congress on enforcing Emergency in the country. “On December 18, 1976, the then-president gave an accent to the 42nd Constitutional amendment act. During the Emergency when the term of Lok Sabha was extended without proper justification. In the extended term, when the entire opposition was put to jail then came the Constitutional amendment. That was a total invalidated process. Only five members opposed the bill in the Lok Sabha. There was no one in Rajya Sabha to oppose it. The amendments were not about strengthening democracy but protecting those in power,” the Finance Minister said.

Rajya Sabha will debate on the issue on Monday and Tuesday. Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said time would not be a constraint and as many speakers willing to speak would be accommodated by extending the duration of the discussion. 

(Inputs from Agencies)