N Sitharaman's Balraj Sahni Example To Slam Congress In Constitution Debate
NDTV
Nirmala Sitharaman said amendments brought by Congress governments were not aimed at strengthening democracy but to shield those in power.
Starting the debate to mark the Constitution's 75th anniversary in Rajya Sabha, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched an all-out attack on the Congress and accused it of repeatedly trying to undermine the Constitution through amendments.
Targeting the country's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, she referred to the first Constitutional amendment in 1951. "It was essentially to curb the freedom of speech (and expression). India prides itself even today on the freedom of expression. But the first interim government came up with a Constitutional amendment to curb the freedom of speech of Indians. That is because the first Prime Minister of this country deplored press scrutiny of his government even as he publicly praised freedom of press," she said.
Earlier, during the debate in Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had slammed Congress for the multiple Constitutional amendments during its rule.
