Haveri/Bengaluru: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi launched a scathing attack on the Congress party, asserting that it has “no moral right to speak on the Constitution,” citing past amendments and alleged distortions during the Emergency era under former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Speaking to the media, Joshi claimed that Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution, had opposed the insertion of the words “secular” and “socialist” during the Constituent Assembly debates in 1948, a move he said was ignored by the Congress, which later inserted these terms through the 42nd Constitutional Amendment in 1976.
“Is the real issue today whether the words ‘secular’ and ‘socialist’ were in the original Preamble or not? No one reversed the Constitution more than the Congress,” Joshi said.
He accused the Congress of turning the Constitution “upside down” during the Emergency by passing 38th, 39th, and 42nd amendments, calling the 42nd amendment a “mini-Constitution” in itself. He highlighted that over 35 provisions of the Constitution were altered, centralizing power and limiting individual freedoms.
“During that time, even newspapers had to seek government approval before going to print. If that system existed today, no news channel would be able to issue breaking news independently,” Joshi remarked.
He further targeted Congress for overruling the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Shah Bano case, saying the party amended laws purely for appeasement politics.
“When a common criminal is arrested today—for murder or theft—they have the right to seek bail and defend themselves in court. But during the Emergency, Congress stripped even these basic rights,” Joshi added.
He concluded that the Congress Party, by manipulating the Constitution for political convenience, has forfeited its right to preach constitutional values.
