Manifesto of any party cannot override Constitution of India: Anand Sharma

Attacking the BJP over the Citizenship Amendment Bill in the Rajya Sabha, Congress leader Anand Sharma on Wednesday said the manifesto of any political party cannot be above the Constitution of the country.

Starting the debate in the Upper House of Parliament, the leader of opposition termed the controversial bill "divisive, discriminatory" and against the fundamentals of the Indian Constitution.

While replying to Union Home Minister Amit Shah who tabled the bill in the House, Sharma said that though it was part of BJP's 2019 manifesto, it cannot override the principles of the Indian Constitution.

"Every political party has a right to have its own manifesto. But the manifesto of any political party cannot be above the Constitution of this country," he said.

Sharma said there are provisions in the Constitution in Article 6 and many people have applied for citizenship.

Taking a dig at the home minister, the Congress leader said, "You are saying this is a historic bill, but how it will be evaluated in history, this you get to know later."
Asking the government to follow the principles of Mahatama Gandhi, for whom everyone was equal, Sharma said, "Gandhi ji's spectacles are not only for advertisement. There is a need to see the entire nation through them (Gandhi ji ka chasma sirf advertisement ke liye nahi hai. Aapko is chasme se pure desh ko dekhana hoga)."
Reacting to the allegations that the bill was discriminatory towards minorities, he said, "When they are persecuted on the basis of their religion, then solution will be based on religion only."