A breakthrough has been achieved over the call for a debate on the Constitution
New Delhi:
All Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs have agreed to hold a debate on the Constitution next week, days after chaotic sessions over the issue.
The breakthrough came today after an all-party meeting with Speaker Om Birla.
The debate on the Constitution will be held on December 13 and 14 in the Lok Sabha, and 16 and 17 in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju told reporters outside parliament.
“It is not good to disrupt parliamentary proceedings. We appeal to all Opposition leaders to make good on the agreement that all of us will ensure parliament functions smoothly from tomorrow,” Mr Rijiju said.
The first session of parliament’s winter session began on November 25, with both houses getting adjourned fairly early due to disruptions. The session will go on till December 20.
Opposition parties had demanded discussions in both houses to mark the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution by the Constituent Assembly.
The ruling BJP has been fending off Opposition attacks that Modi 3.0 would tinker with the Constitution. Union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah has more than once dismissed the Opposition’s claims that the BJP would amend the Constitution if it got a singular majority again in the Lok Sabha.
“We have had the mandate to change the Constitution for the last 10 years, but we never did that. What do you think Rahul Baba and company would say, and the country will believe it? This country has given us a clear mandate, and the people of this country already know that Modi ji already had sufficient majority to change the Constitution, but we never did that,” Mr Shah had said in May.
Mr Rijiju’s recent comments at an event to announce programmes linked to the Constitution Day celebrations on November 26, however, have prompted the Opposition to take note again. The Constitution is not only a static document but a journey, and it has been amended before, Mr Riiju said at the The HindkeshariIndia Samvad Samvidhan 2024 Summit.
“The Constitution is a book. However, as a citizen, we have to follow a way of life. Many people have given their views on the Constitution from time to time, and they are constructive views. People have also looked at the Constitution with different views at different points of time, amendments have been made too,” the Parliamentary and Minority Affairs Minister said.
“I am not going into minute details about the Constitution as it will be a lengthy discussion. But everyone knows that the Constitution is not a static document. It is a journey, which has seen changes and will see changes. Except for the basic principles which are at the core, which we cannot and should not touch, nothing is permanent in a democratic system,” Mr Rijiju said.
On the Opposition raising other issues such as Sambhal violence and Manipur, Mr Rijiju said a decision will be taken in accordance with the rules. These issues have led to constant adjournments of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha since the session began on November 25.
Some Opposition parties, especially the Trinamool Congress, want parliament to discuss a host of different issues, including unemployment, price rise and the Centre’s alleged discrimination against Opposition-ruled states in fund allocation.
The Trinamool Congress had skipped Opposition meetings to formulate the INDIA bloc’s joint strategy during the session. The Trinamool does not want to stamp its approval on the Congress’s agenda.
The BJP has accused the Congress of being the principal violator of constitutional norms and spirit when it was in power, asserting that the Modi government strengthened constitutional practices and principles during its over 10-year tenure.