PM Modi's Constitution Debate Speech: Calls For Unity, New Vision For India, Exposes Congress

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a strong speech in Parliament on Saturday, accusing the Congress party and the Nehru-Gandhi family of repeatedly weakening India's Constitution for political gain. Speaking in response to a two-day debate on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Indian Constitution, PM Modi criticised the Congress leaders for their actions, while putting up a few examples, stating that those actions damaged the country’s democratic values and unity.

Prime Minister Modi, during his speech in Parliament, ripped apart the Congress party, particularly the Nehru-Gandhi family, accusing them of weakening the Constitution for vote bank politics. He compared this with his government’s efforts to uphold the Constitution’s values, strengthen India’s unity, and promote development.

During his address, PM Modi explained his administration as the true defender of the Constitution, aiming to create a more unified and prosperous India.

Here’s a breakdown of the key points from PM Modi’s speech:

Repeated Attack On Constitution: PM

The prime minister claimed that after Congress had "tasted blood" in power, it repeatedly "wounded" the Constitution. He suggested that Congress did so for political power, often at the cost of India's unity and democracy.

He specifically targeted the Nehru-Gandhi family, saying they were responsible for repeatedly striking at the heart of the Constitution. He pointed out that the family, which held power for 55 years, "challenged the Constitution at every level."

PM Modi Criticised Former Congress Prime Ministers

Explaining how the Congress party leaders and party’s former prime ministers made amendments in the Constitution to satisfy their vote bank politics, PM Modi criticised Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister, for making constitutional amendments that curbed freedoms, particularly freedom of expression.

Recounting the era of Emergency, Prime Minister Modi slammed former PM Indira Gandhi for imposing the Emergency in 1975 to bypass a Supreme Court decision that had invalidated her election. He said this was an attack on democracy and the Constitution, adding that she "mutilated the Constitution" to protect her political power.

Further, mentioning the Rajiv Gandhi era, PM Narenddra Modi also criticised the then PM Rajiv Gandhi, accusing him of amending the Constitution in ways that undermined its integrity. Referring to the Shah Bano case, where the Congress government was blamed for overturning a Supreme Court judgment by amending the Constitution, he accused them of overlooking the ethics of the Constitution for their vote bank politics. “Supreme Court gave Shah Bano judgement and pronounced a verdict protecting the morals of women. But, Rajiv Gandhi denied the morals of the Supreme Court and on the cost of vote bank politics, Rajiv Gandhi overlooked the ethics of the Constitution. Amendments were made to the Constitution and the Shah Bano verdict was toppled,” the prime minister stated.  

PM Modi Hits Dynastic Politics

Prime Minister Modi claimed the Congress’s focus on dynastic politics, which revolves around one family, has hurt the democratic values in the Constitution. He made a veiled reference to Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, calling them part of this "dynastic game”.

Without naming Rahul Gandhi directly, PM Modi described an "arrogant" Congress leader who tore up a Cabinet decision during the previous Congress-led UPA government. He also mentioned the creation of the National Advisory Council, which he said was placed above the Cabinet during Sonia Gandhi’s leadership.

PM Cites Violation of Constitutional Spirit

Slamming the religion-based reservations, PM Modi accused Congress of violating the Constitution’s spirit by pushing for reservations based on religion. He said that the Constitution’s makers specifically chose not to allow religion-based quotas in order to maintain unity, but Congress violated this principle to "appease its vote bank”.

The prime minister highlighted his government's actions to strengthen India’s unity, such as the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and the introduction of GST (Goods and Services Tax) to create a "one nation, one tax" system.

PM Calls India's Progress ‘Extraordinary’

PM Modi described India’s progress since the adoption of the Constitution in 1949 as "extraordinary" and emphasised that the Constitution has been the foundation for India’s development.

He hailed India as not just a large democracy, but the "mother of democracy", stressing the importance of the Constitution in India’s success as a democratic nation.

PM Modi pointed to the Constitution’s provision of voting rights to women as a landmark moment, and he praised India’s ongoing progress in women-led development. He also lauded the passage of laws to provide reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

Prime Minister’s Commitment

PM Modi shared that as Chief Minister of Gujarat, he had celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Constitution by symbolically walking barefoot under a copy of the Constitution placed on an elephant. This gesture, he said, reflected his respect for the Constitution’s supremacy.

He also reaffirmed that the Constitution remains the core of India's unity and that it will guide the country’s journey toward becoming a developed nation by 2047.

PM’s 11 Resolutions For Nation-Building

At the end of his speech, Prime Minister Modi proposed 11 resolutions aimed at building a stronger and united India, including resolutions like upholding reservations for marginalised communities, rejecting religion-based quotas, promoting meritocracy over dynastic politics and ensuring zero tolerance for corruption. A look at the Prime Minister’s 11 pledges:

1. Whether it is a citizen or the government, everyone should perform their duties
2. Every area, every section of society should get the benefit of development, it should be 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’
3. There should be zero tolerance for corruption and no social acceptance of the corrupt
4. People should feel proud of following the country's laws, rules, traditions... there should be a sense of pride
5. There should be freedom from the mentality of slavery
6. People should feel proud of the country's heritage
7. The country should be free of dynastic politics, there should be respect for the Constitution and it should not be made a tool for political self-interest
8. Reflecting dedication to the spirit of the Constitution, the benefit of reservation should not be taken away from those who are getting it and all attempts to give reservation based on religion should be stopped
9. India should become an example of women-led development in the world
10. Development of the country through the development of the states should be our development mantra
11. The goal of 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat' should be above everything else

India’s Goal

Asserting that unity is the foundation for the progress of a nation, PM Modi emphasised that India’s goal of becoming a developed country by 2047 relies on national unity, which the Constitution upholds. He stressed that the Constitution has played a vital role in overcoming challenges since India’s independence and remains the foundation for future progress.

BJP Leaders Lauded PM’s Speech

Union Minister Giriraj Singh praised Prime Minister Modi for "completely exposing" the Congress party, saying the country should learn from his speech. BJP MP Jagdambika Pal also supported PM Modi, saying the Prime Minister revealed the truth that Congress has never respected the Constitution or its architect, Dr BR Ambedkar.

During his 110-minute speech, PM Modi proposed 11 key resolutions, including maintaining the current reservations for marginalized groups but rejecting any religion-based quotas. He also called for an end to dynastic politics, the promotion of merit-based governance, and a commitment to zero tolerance for corruption.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan emphasised that Prime Minister Modi’s government is dedicated to the welfare of all citizens, especially the poor, farmers, youth, and women, while the Congress’ continued to sing their long-standing slogan of "Garibi Hatao." He highlighted the importance of the Constitution to the government, stating that decisions like the abrogation of Article 370, the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), and the National Education Policy (NEP) were made with full respect for the Constitution’s spirit.

Pradhan urged the people of India to contribute to nation-building by following the 11 resolutions presented by the Prime Minister during the debate.