Lucknow: Leaders of various parties in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday traded barbs on Constitution Day, with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accusing the Congress of tampering with the Preamble and “strangling” the Constitution while SP chief Akhilesh Yadav hit out at the BJP for undermining constitutional values.
Adityanath also argued that the original Constitution, drafted by the B R Ambedkar-led panel on November 26, 1949, did not include the words “secular” or “socialist.”
Alleging that Congress added these terms during the Emergency period, he said, “The people have delivered a fitting lesson to those who betrayed the Constitution.”
The chief minister made these remarks during a ceremony at Lok Bhawan to commemorate Constitution Day. He also led the reading of the Preamble, paying tribute to the architects of the Indian Constitution.
Highlighting the strength and comprehensiveness of the Constitution, Adityanath described it as the most robust in the world.
Adityanath hailed Ambedkar as a “true son of India”, highlighting how the drafting committee under his leadership incorporated core values like justice, equality, and fraternity into the document, ensuring a strong future for the nation.
The CM also shared historical insights, stating that the Constituent Assembly, formed in 1946 on the demand of freedom fighters, held its first meeting on December 9, 1946. Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected as its President, and the Constitution was drafted by 13 committees, with the drafting committee chaired by Ambedkar.
He further explained that the debates of these committees were instrumental in shaping the Constitution and called them its essence. CM Yogi urged the legislature, executive, and judiciary to draw inspiration and guidance from these historic debates, which reflect the spirit and principles of the Constitution.
Praising India’s democracy, Adityanath said the Constitution ensures equal voting rights for individuals of every caste, opinion, and religion.
“While other democracies around the world were grappling with discrimination, India had already granted universal suffrage to all adult citizens in its general elections, a testament to the foresight of Ambedkar and the Constituent Assembly,” he said.
Mounting a sharp attack on the Congress, Adityanath accused the party of undermining the Constitution’s sanctity “by attempting to alter basic structure, holding the party responsible for the erosion of people’s faith in it.”
“It was the BJP government that restored and strengthened this faith, upholding the true essence of the Constitution,” he remarked and emphasized that the soul of any Constitution lies in its objectives and principles.
He further said that the public has not hesitated in holding accountable those who tampered with the Indian Constitution.
Adityanath emphasized the importance of exposing those who mislead the people of the country. “Their faces may appear democratic, but their actions reveal a dictatorial and fascist mentality.Whenever they get an opportunity, they do not hesitate to undermine democratic values,” he said.
Reflecting on past and present actions, the UP CM pointed out, “Whether it was during the Emergency in 1975 or now, their attempts to deprive socially marginalised and extremely backward caste groups of the constitutional rights granted by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar are evident. Their remarks, both within India and abroad, speak volumes about their intentions.”
Slamming the BJP, the SP president accused it of ignoring the Constitution and said the biggest celebration is to respect the Constitution and follow the path shown by it.
Respecting the Constitution and following the path shown by it is a duty to be performed every day with a true heart, it is not some showy annual gathering, he added.
“One one hand, BJP wants to do as it pleases by ignoring the Constitution, and on the other hand, it wants to show off. This political duplicity of BJP is dangerous for the country and its citizens,” Yadav said in a post on X.
“When the situation is getting worse with respect to the Constitution and its implementation, the Constitution is being disrespected and insulted every day, celebrating in such a situation is against our principles.Celebrations shouldn’t be a farce!” he added.
BSP chief Mayawati hit out at both the Congress and BJP, saying they have not implemented the Constitution in full spirit.
In a post on X, she said, “The Constitution of the country is not just a show-off thing but it is very important to accept it whole-heartedly and behave accordingly. The Indian Constitution is about the humanitarian and welfare objectives of ‘Sarvajan Hitaay and Sarvajan Sukhay’ so that a caste-free egalitarian society is established here and the country becomes great.”
“But even after so many decades of the implementation of the Constitution in the country, the lack of true social, political and economic democracy at the ground level proves that the ruling parties, especially the Congress and the BJP, have not implemented the Constitution according to its real public welfare intention, which is very sad,” she added.
She alleged that the desired welfare work of removing poverty, unemployment and backwardness of the people through development in India, where about 140 crore people are suffering from poverty, is not being done.
“The development of a handful of people is disturbing every balance here, due to which how much-desired public development is possible?” she said.
“Today on ‘Constitution Day’, the BSP praises the Constitution profusely, but the true tribute to its main architect, the most revered Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar is possible only when the lives of crores of his exploited and neglected followers are improved. There will be improvement through reservation etc for which BSP is dedicated,” Mayawati said.
