Bengaluru: Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai said on Tuesday that it was the biggest irony of our times that the Congress, which was responsible for undermining the Constitution on many occasions, was now speaking about protecting it.
He was addressing the gathering at a seminar on ‘Emergency: An Insult to the Constitution, a dark chapter of political repression, suppression of civil liberties and press censorship,’ organised by Citizens for Social Justice here.
Annamalai listed out 39 amendments made during the 15-year-tenure of the late Indira Gandhi as prime minister, which led to suppression of civil and political liberties in the country.
He explained how the Indira-led Congress government misused institutions like Reserve Bank of India, to help her son Sanjay Gandhi’s ambitions to set up the country’s first car company Maruti.
On the other hand, there were eight amendments to the Constitution in Narendra Modi’s 10-year rule, including for the implementation of GST, granting constitutional status to the backward classes commission, providing reservations for economically weaker sections, giving rights to the states to classify OBCs and to implement 33% reservation for women.
“Modi’s tenure saw amendments to help people at large. But the Congress ran a campaign to create fear that he would change the Constitution and the people fell for it,” he said.
Annamalai said, at least now, the people should realise the true intentions of the Congress’ agitation.
Published 25 June 2024, 21:48 IST