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Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the Constitution is under attack and called it a document that represents the voices of Dr B R Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi that must be protected. He was addressing a 'Bahujan Swabhiman Sabha' in Raebareli, his parliamentary constituency, in memory of revolutionary Veera Pasi who belonged to the district. "While listening to other speakers, I felt that we remember Veera Pasi and Dr Ambedkar, but the ideology they stood for is not being protected properly because, in front of our eyes, an attack is being made on the Constitution," Gandhi said. The Congress leader said the Constitution is not an ordinary document, but one that carried the ideology of Ambedkar, Veera Pasi and Mahatma Gandhi, along with the contributions of several reformers such as Narayana Guru in Kerala and Basavanna in Karnataka. Gandhi also referred to Buddha, Guru Nanak, and Kabir, saying their voices were reflected in the Constitution. He alleged tha
The Supreme Court on Thursday said free and fair elections are a part of the basic structure of the Constitution, and this cannot be ensured unless the Election Commission is independent and also appears to be independent. A bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma made the observations during the final hearing on a batch of six petitions challenging the constitutional validity of a new law governing the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and the Election Commissioners (EC). The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, which came into force on January 2, 2024, mandates that the CEC and the ECs are appointed by the President on the recommendation of a Selection Committee consisting of the Prime Minister, a Union Cabinet Minister, and the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. The law replaces the Chief Justice of India with a Union Cabinet Minister on the
President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday said she hoped that Indians would exercise their right to vote by employing wisdom and shunning allurement, prejudice and misinformation, to strengthen the country's electoral system. She also lauded women electors for coming out in large numbers to exercise their franchise in the elections. Addressing the 16th National Voters' Day event held in Delhi, Murmu asserted that while the right to vote was important, it was also imperative that all citizens exercise it by keeping in mind their constitutional duties. For the last 16 years, the foundation day of the Election Commission has been celebrated as the National Voters' Day. On November 26, 1949, when the Constituent Assembly adopted the Indian Constitution, 16 of its Articles came into force immediately. One pertained to the creation of the Election Commission. The Election Commission came into existence on January 25, 1950, a day before India became a Republic. The remaining part of the ...
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged people to take part in democratic processes, saying being a voter is not just a constitutional privilege, but an important duty that gives every citizen a voice in shaping India's future. "Greetings on #NationalVotersDay. This day is about further deepening our faith in the democratic values of our nation," Modi said in a post on X. He complimented all those associated with the Election Commission of India for their efforts to strengthen democratic processes. "Being a voter is not just a constitutional privilege, but an important duty that gives every citizen a voice in shaping India's future," Modi said. "Let us honour the spirit of our democracy by always taking part in democratic processes, thereby strengthening the foundations of a Viksit Bharat," the prime minister said. National Voters' Day is celebrated annually in India on January 25 to mark the foundation day of the Election Commission of India.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday accused the Modi government of weakening the Constitution whose foundation is social justice and said its policies have reversed previous Congress governments' initiatives on education and jobs for Dalits. Addressing the Congress party's first meeting of its Scheduled Castes (SC) Advisory Committee, he said the BJP government has weakened reservations, does not promote equality, instead justifies discrimination. "We will not allow Baba Saheb (Ambedkar)'s Constitution to be weakened at any cost," Kharge said. He said the Congress, even before Independence, pledged to mitigate the discrimination prevalent in society and recognised that the state's role in eradicating it. It was with this thinking that two major laws were enacted: the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955, which made untouchability and all its forms punishable offences, and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, Kharge said. The government of Rajiv Gandhi enac
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday claimed NRC was the real intent behind the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Speaking to reporters after garlanding the statue of BR Ambedkar at Red Road on the occasion of Constitution Day, Banerjee said the citizenship of people is being questioned after so many years of Independence. In a post on X earlier in the day, she said that when democracy is at stake, secularism is in an "endangered situation", and federalism is "being bulldozed", people must protect the valuable guidance that the Constitution provides. Banerjee said the Constitution is the backbone of the nation, masterfully weaving together the diversity of India's cultures, languages, and communities. "Today, on this Constitution Day, I pay my deepest respect and tribute to the great Constitution that we have, to the great document that binds us in India. I also pay my tribute today to the visionary framers of our Constitution, especially Dr BR
The Bar occupies an indispensable place in fortifying the rule of law and upholding the sanctity of the Constitution, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said on Wednesday while also stressing its importance in providing legal aid to the vulnerable and the marginalised. Addressing a gathering at a Constitution Day function organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association, the CJI said the judiciary has repeatedly acknowledged the invaluable role of the Bar in safeguarding its virtues. "When we celebrate the pivotal moment when the people of India gifted unto themselves their most fundamental covenant, I stand before you and must emphasise that the Bar occupies an indispensable place in fortifying the rule of law and upholding the sanctity of our Constitution... "I do not hesitate in saying that if the courts are regarded as the sentinel of the Constitution, then the members of the Bar are the torchbearers who illuminate our path. They help us discharge our solemn duty with clarity and .
Taking a swipe at the RSS-BJP on Constitution Day, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday alleged that the Sangh's role was to attack and undermine it, and that role had been taken forward by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah "who have been subverting constitutional principles in a calculated manner". Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the RSS "had no role whatsoever" in the making of the Constitution "On Saturday, November 26 1949, the Constituent Assembly met at 10 AM with Dr. Rajendra Prasad in the Chair. Before formally putting the motion for the adoption of the draft Constitution of India that had been moved by Dr. Ambedkar the previous day to the vote, Dr Rajendra Prasad made his remarks," Ramesh recalled. "In his speech explaining the background to and highlights of the Draft that was soon to be adopted, Dr. Rajendra Prasad recalled: 'The method which the Constituent Assembly adopted in connection with the ...
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday urged citizens to fulfil their Constitutional duties, asserting that these were foundations for a strong democracy. In a letter to citizens on Constitution Day, the prime minister also stressed the responsibility of strengthening democracy by exercising the right to vote, and suggested that schools and colleges celebrate Constitution Day by honouring first-time voters turning 18. Modi recalled Mahatma Gandhi's belief that rights flow from the performance of duties, stressing that fulfilling duties is the foundation for social and economic progress. He underscored that the policies and decisions taken today will shape the lives of generations to come, and urged citizens to place their duties foremost in their minds as India moves towards the vision of a Viksit Bharat. Our Constitution gives utmost importance to human dignity, equality and liberty. While it empowers us with rights, it also reminds us of our duties as citizens, which we should