Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the Parliament on the occasion of the Constitution Day on Friday, 26 November, said that the Constitution binds the various diverse states in the country.
"Our Constitution binds our diverse country. It was drafted after many hindrances and united the princely states in the country," he stated.
Unleashing a thinly-veiled attack on the Congress, the prime minister said:
"India is heading towards a crisis which is a matter of concern for those devoted to the Constitution, a matter of concern for those who believe in democracy, and that is family parties. More than one person leaving a family on the basis of merit does not make the party family-oriented. But one party is in politics generation after generation."
"The spirit of the Constitution has also been hurt, every section of the Constitution has also been hurt, when political parties lose their democratic character in themselves. How can parties which have lost their democratic character protect democracy?" he said.
"Constitution Day should have been celebrated each year after 1950 to educate all about what went into the making of the Constitution. But some people did not do so. This day should also be celebrated to evaluate whether what we do is right or not," Modi further asserted.
"Today is the day to pay homage to the long-sighted great personalities like Babasaheb Ambedkar, Dr Rajendra Prasad. Today is the day to salute this House," PM Modi said at the Parliament.
"Today, revered Bapu also has to be bowed down to. We also have to bow to all those who made sacrifices in the freedom movement," he added.
The prime minister is scheduled to inaugurate the two-day Constitution Day celebrations organised by the Supreme Court at 5:30 pm in the plenary hall of Vigyan Bhawan.
Constitution Day is celebrated annually in India on 26 November. The day is also known as National Law Day and commemorates the adoption of the Constitution in India.
President Kovind Addresses the Nation, Will Release Updated Version of Constitution
President Ram Nath Kovind also addressed the nation in the Parliament on Friday.
"72 years ago, in this Central Hall, the framers of our Constitution had adopted this document for a bright future of independent India. I believe that the development journey of India has been progressing on the strength of our Constitution," he stated.
"In our country, not only women were given the right to vote from the beginning, but many women were members of the Constituent Assembly. They also made an unprecedented contribution in the making of the Constitution," the president was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
The president on Friday will release a digital version of the Constituent Assembly Debates, an online version of a calligraphed copy of the Constitution, and an updated version of the Constitution of India that will include all amendments till date.
Opposition Decides To Boycott
Meanwhile, several Opposition parties have decided to boycott the Constitution Day event, which will be addressed by President Kovind in the Parliament. Other Opposition parties, including Rashtriya Janata Dal, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, and the left, are also expected to stay away from the event.
The move came as the Congress decided to reach out to other parties to ensure Opposition unity in Parliament.
The Congress parliamentary strategy group, chaired by Sonia Gandhi, organised a meeting on Thursday, where the party president reportedly said that the political developments outside Parliament should not come in the way of floor coordination, Hindustan Times reported quoting sources.
Apart from trying to repeal the three farm laws on the first working day of the session, the party is also set to demand a “legal guarantee” for Minimum Support Price (MSP).
Explaining the reasons for the boycott, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was quoted as saying:
"We won’t participate. This government does not believe in democracy. They are hell bent on dismantling each and every institution of democratic India. Moreover, they have not invited Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge to be on the podium. The office of Leader of the Opposition is also an institution. This government does not respect that also."
Meanwhile, BJP leader Amit Malviya called the boycott an insult to Dr Ambedkar.
"14 parties including Congress, Left, TMC, RJD, SS, NCP, SP, IUML and the DMK to boycott ‘Constitution Day’ celebrations in Central Hall. Congress, which created a big hue and cry during Nehru’s birth anniversary program, is leading the boycott. This is an insult to Dr Ambedkar," he stated.
(With inputs from Hindustan Times.)
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