Union Minister Kiren Rijiju Slams Congress, Accuses Of ‘Murdering’ Constitution, Neglecting Ambedkar

Union Minister for Minority and Parliamentary Affairs, Kiren Rijiju,slammed the Congress party in a Lok Sabha debate on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Indian Constitution. Rijiju accused Congress of changing the “soul” of the Constitution and ignoring the architect of India’s Constitution, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, during its regime.

Congress Accused of “Murdering” the Constitution

Congress is “trying to murder” the Constitution, Rijiju said, as it amended its Preamble during the 42nd Constitutional Amendment in 1976. The amendment, which was passed during the emergency, added the words “socialist” and “secular” to the Preamble, Rijiju said, a distortion of the original text. He said the BJP was committed to respecting the Constitution, citing initiatives like the Samvidhan Samman Yatra and Samvidhan Diwas celebrations launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“You have attacked the Constitution. You changed the Preamble, the very soul of the Constitution. Then how can you blame others?” He asked the opposition.

Rijiju further alleged that Congress had frequently misused Articles 355 and 356 of the Constitution to dismiss state governments, doing so 90 times during its rule, compared to 12 times under the BJP-led governments.

Alleges Congress of not giving ‘Bharat Ratna’ to Ambedkar

Kiren Rijiju took particular notice of how Dr. Ambedkar was handled by the Congress while countering. “Dr Ambedkar was allowed to resign as the first law minister for his supposed ‘negligence’, ‘slept as chief draughtsman,’ writes Dr Rama Rao: ‘due to a grudge between the chief and me over an unfortunate dispute.’ This, even before Ambedkar sought economic and power ministries”, claimed the Minister for the interior.

Rijiju also condemned Congress for not giving the Bharat Ratna to Ambedkar when it was in power. “After Ambedkar’s death in 1956, Jawaharlal Nehru received the Bharat Ratna, and later Indira Gandhi awarded it to herself. Why did you not honor Ambedkar? It was only during V.P. Singh’s government, with BJP’s support, that Ambedkar received the Bharat Ratna,” he added.

Rijiju praised Prime Minister Modi’s efforts in commemorating Ambedkar’s legacy, including the establishment of five pilgrimage sites associated with him.

On Minotities and Northeast

Commenting on the opposition’s allegations over India’s safety for its minorities, Rijiju reiterated that India remains a shelter for oppressed minorities of its neighboring nations. “You know the condition of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. When minorities are oppressed or persecuted, they come to India seeking protection,” Rijiju said. He maintained that India’s inclusive nature differed from the condition of the minority in those countries

From his personal experience, Rijiju also highlighted the achievements of the BJP government in the Northeast, comparing them with the policies of Congress. He said that before 2014, India’s Northeast had the highest number of militant organizations, and infrastructure development was minimal.
My village in Arunachal Pradesh was occupied by China for two weeks in 1962. There were no accessible border roads. Congress’ defense minister at the time said it was a policy not to build roads. Today, after 2014, the Northeast has 17 airports compared to just nine before. Roads spanning 16,200 kilometers have been built since 2014, compared to 10,900 kilometers before that,” Rijiju said.

Rijiju called for collective efforts to build a “Viksit Bharat” by 2047. “India has made remarkable progress in democracy, but economically, countries like Singapore are ahead. We are one of the most talented and gifted nations. Under PM Modi’s leadership, the vision is clear. We must work together to make India a developed country in the next 23 years,” he stated.

Lok Sabha Winter Session

The two-day debate in the Lok Sabha was part of the winter session of Parliament, which was celebrating 75 years since the adoption of the Constitution. The winter session, which began on November 25, has witnessed heated exchanges between the government and the Opposition, with issues of constitutional amendments, governance, and minority rights dominating the discussions.

The debate included notable speeches from Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. While the government highlighted its achievements, the opposition raised concerns about the erosion of constitutional values and the safety of minorities.

The winter session is scheduled to continue until December 20.

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