Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman attacked the Congress during the constitutional debate in the Rajya Sabha, saying amendments were not about strengthening democracy but protecting those in power. “Congress brazenly continued to amend the Constitution to help the family and the dynasty,” she said. The FM added that the Constitution of India has stood the test of time as she started the debate on 75 years of the Constitution in the Rajya Sabha.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, “Majrooh Sultanpuri and Balraj Sahni were both jailed in 1949. During one of the meetings organized for the mill workers in 1949, Majrooh Sultanpuri recited a poem written against Jawaharlal Nehru and therefore he had to go to jail. He refused to apologise. for the same and was imprisoned…Congress’s record of curtailing freedom of speech did not limit it to these two persons “Nehru”, a political biography written by Michael Edwards in 1975. They also banned a film called “Kissa Kursi Ka”. just because it questioned Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her son.”
FM Sitharaman further added that in 1950 the Supreme Court had ruled in favor of the Communist newspaper “Cross Roads” and the RSS organization newspaper “Organizer”, but in response the (then) Interim Government felt that there was a need for a First Constitutional Amendment and it was brought in by INC and it was essentially to restrict freedom.
“So India, a democratic country that even today prides itself on freedom of speech saw the first interim government bring a constitutional amendment that was to curtail the freedom of speech of Indians and that within a year of the adoption of the constitution,” she said.
Sitharaman added that after World War II, over 50 countries had gained independence and had their constitutions written but many have changed their constitutions, not just changing them but literally changing the entire element of their constitution. But our Constitution has stood the test of time, of course, yielding to a great many changes…”
“As we mark the 75th year of our Constitution, it is time, I think, to reaffirm our commitment to build the India that is ‘Bharat’ to uphold the spirit enshrined in this sacred document,” she added.
