New Delhi, Dec 14: On Saturday, opposition MPs accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of undermining the Constitution. National Conference (NC) MP Mian Altaf Ahmad pointed out that while the Congress party has acknowledged its past mistakes during the Emergency, the BJP has remained silent regarding its own controversial actions.
During a debate commemorating 75 years since the adoption of the Constitution, Ahmad criticized the BJP for the division of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories, describing it as unnecessary.
“While Congress has apologized for its role in the Emergency, the BJP has refrained from addressing its missteps… They may have toppled elected governments in the past, but you have unnecessarily divided our state,” he stated.
Communist Party of India (Marxist Leninist) Liberation MP Raja Ram Singh highlighted the plight of activists such as Stan Swamy, who died in prison while facing accusations related to the Bhima Koregaon case, as well as Umar Khalid, Gulfisha, and Meeran Haider, who were arrested over alleged connections to the 2020 Delhi riots.
“What Constitution are we discussing?” he questioned.
Singh further commented on the issue of economic equality, arguing that the Constitution asserts the need for proportional salaries, asserting that the disparity between a peon’s pay and that of a CEO is unjust.
“You pay a peon Rs 5,000 while the CEO earns Rs 2.5-3 crore… The government is fostering widening economic inequality,” he contended.
Singh also criticized the BJP for its duality, stating, “You want to hold Gandhi in one hand and Savarkar in the other. Such hypocrisy is unsustainable. The BJP is manipulating the Constitution to advance communal fascism in the country.”
He added, “The Buddha’s image marks the first chapter of the Constitution; do not attempt to supplant it with the Gita.”
Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) MP N K Premchandran echoed these sentiments, highlighting the increasing divide between wealth and poverty. He noted that the Constitution’s directive principles emphasize minimizing inequalities.
He accused the BJP government of concentrating wealth and resources among a select few, asserting, “The benefits of so-called economic development are not reaching the poor and marginalized.” He recalled B R Ambedkar’s warning that social and economic inequalities would undermine democracy’s foundations.
Premchandran also expressed concern over the secular nature of the nation, stating that citizens did not grant the BJP an absolute majority to put the secular character of the country at risk. (Agencies)
