We need to revisit our Constitution, laws: Minister

Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development (HRD) Satypal Singh on Saturday said that the country's Constitution and laws need to be revisited if "justice for all" is to be ensured.

Speaking on "Rule of Law" on the occasion of B.R. Ambedkar's birth anniversary at the Delhi University (DU), the Minister remarked that in past decades, the country's Constitution had been interpreted so there was a need to revisit it.

"In the last about two decades, the way the Constitution has been interpreted and the laws have been interpreted... Let us revisit our laws. Let us revisit our Constitution."

The Minister also raised doubts over the way secular aspect of the Constitution has played out and hinted that there was an imbalance in the way the law treats minorities and majority.

"We want this country to be secular country... The kind of freedom has been given to the minorities... Minorities have the right to run their institutes, their religious institutions, but the majority does not have. Law is equal to all," he said.

Singh remarked on the inequities in society, saying that "one who steals Rs 100 and one who swindles Rs 100 crore, deserve the same punishment" according to the book of law.

"Does it really do justice to society?" he said.

Despite the Right to Education, he said, millions of students did not go to schools because the "law doesn't have teeth".

"Law, life and death spare no one... We need to do a lot to realise the dreams of Ambedkar," he added.

DU Vice Chancellor Yogesh Tyagi and former Vice Chancellor of the university and law professor Upendra Baxi also attended the event.

--IANS

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