Congress questions Modi on replacing constitution

PATNA, May 19: The Congress today cornered the Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his continued silence on the issue of replacing the constitution and asked him to clarify his stand on the caste census and removing the fifty percent cap on reservations.

The party also questioned the Prime Minister’s clean chit to China when it had actually intruded into India’s land.

Addressing a press conference here today, party general secretary in charge communications Jairam Ramesh said that the Prime Minister continued to mislead people with polarising politics providing oxygen to communalism but was avoiding the real issues.

On the BJP’s plans of changing the constitution, Ramesh quoted an article published in the RSS mouthpiece the Organiser where in it was written that the constitution did not represent Indian values and it had not been inspired by Manusmriti. He reiterated that the BJP wanted to replace the constitution with a new Manuvadi constitution.

He also quoted UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s old article where he had opposed the reservations.

The Congress general secretary posed some questions to the Prime Minister and sought his answers. He asked the Prime Minister that it was not true that the leaders of RSS and the BJP had been repeatedly saying that the time of this constitution was up and it needed to be replaced. He asked the PM to clarify his stand.

He asked the PM why he has not broken his silence on ‘Caste Census’, which will be a socio-economic survey of the country. He wanted the PM's clarification whether he was in favour or opposed to caste census. He said the Congress believed that if there was no caste census backwards, the Dalits and the Adivasis would not get their rights.

Referring to the Supreme Court’s 50 percent cap on reservation, Ramesh asked the PM whether he will remove this cap. “We have clearly said that we will remove the cap with a constitutional amendment”, he pointed out.

The senior Congress leader asked the PM why he waived off 16 lakh crore debts of his billionaire friends and not a single penny of farmers. He pointed out, in 2008 Congress government led by Dr Manmohan Singh waived off debts to the tune of Rs 72,000 crore of farmers.

While reiterating that the INDIA government will waive off the debts, he said, it will set up a permanent debt relief commission. “PM should speak on debt waiver of farmers”, Ramesh observed, and added, the PM was also quiet on legal guarantee on MSP, which he had promised to farmers before they lifted their protest in Delhi in 2021.

He reiterated the Congress commitment that there will be legal guarantee on MSP and it will be given on the basis of Swaminathan Commission recommendations.

Questioning the Prime Minister on giving clean chit to China, he pointed out, on June 19, 2020 the PM gave clean chit to China saying neither anyone came nor anyone was sitting in our land. “What has been happening for the last four years is an insult to Galwan martyrs”, he remarked.