Congress amended Constitution for family, claims Sitharaman; Kharge says PM's bhakti taking country towards dictatorship

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha on Monday started the two-day debate on the Constitution with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman accusing the Congress of “brazenly” amending the Constitution to help the “family and dynasty” and Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge alleging that  ‘bhakti’ of the Prime Minister is “taking the country towards dictatorship.

Initiating the debate on the 'Glorious Journey of 75 Years of the Constitution of India', she also alleged that Congress' economic policies were damaging and it included ‘socialism’ in the Preamble to prove that they were doing the right thing. She also said the Congress has been “anti-women” for not passing the Women's Reservation Bill because of pressure from allies.

Citing amendments, including one related to the Shah Bano case, she said none of the amendments passed the test of four criteria – economic good, social intent, due process, and constitutional spirit.

“Each time the Congress brazenly amended the Constitution, it was only to help the family, the dynasty, they kept amending the Constitution...These amendments were not to strengthen democracy but to protect those in power, the process was used to strengthen the family,” she said.

She also accused the Congress of curtailing freedom of expression and referred to the arrest of renowned lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri and actor Balraj Sahni in 1949 and the banning of the film 'Kissa Kursi Ka', which was critical of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Nirmala also said then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru “copied” the Soviet Model and was carried forward by Indira Gandhi but the socialist model did not benefit India. “Their slogan was 'Garibi Hatao', what did socialism do to eradicate socialism?” she said.

Opening the Opposition attack, Kharge said the BJP is giving “jumlas” to people and at the same time blaming the Congress for their shortcomings while alleging that the ‘bhakti’ of PM is “taking the country towards dictatorship. democracy should not turn into dictatorship”.

“Those who did not fight for the country, how will they know the importance of freedom and the Constitution?...The Prime Minister was teaching us… They promised all citizens will get Rs 15 lakh each but nothing came. They are misleading. The Prime Minister should have told what he has done in the last 11 years to strengthen the Constitution,” he said.

He said the RSS leaders opposed the Constitution because it was not based on Manusmriti. “Neither did they accept the Constitution nor the tricolour. On 26 January 2002, for the first time, the tricolour was hoisted at the RSS headquarters under compulsion,” he said.

“Those people who hate the national flag, those who hate our ‘Ashok Chakra’, those who hate the Constitution... such people are trying to teach us. When this Constitution was made...these people burnt the Constitution. They torched effigies of Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi at Ramlila Maidan the day the Constitution was adopted,” he said.

Kharge also alleged that the BJP was against reservation and that is why they are against caste census.