Sitharaman attacks Congress, says Constitutional amendments were made to protect those in power

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Congress brazenly kept amending the Constitution to help family and dynasty and added that India's Constitution has stood the test of time.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman attacked the Congress during the Constitution Debate in Rajya Sabha and said amendments were not about strengthening democracy but protecting those in power. "Congress brazenly kept amending the Constitution to help family and dynasty," she said. The FM added that India's Constitution has stood the test of time as she started the debate on 75 years of the Constitution in Rajya Sabha. 

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, "Majrooh Sultanpuri and Balraj Sahni were both jailed in 1949. During one of the meetings organized for the mill workers in 1949, Majrooh Sultanpuri recited a poem that was written against Jawaharlal Nehru and therefore he had to go to jail. He refused to tender an apology for the same and was jailed...Congress's record of curtailing freedom of speech didn't confine it to these two people. "Nehru", a political biography which was written by Michael Edwards in 1975 was banned. They banned also a film called "Kissa Kursi Ka"  just because it questioned Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her son." 

FM Sitharaman further added that the Supreme Court in 1950 had ruled in favour of the Communist magazine "Cross Roads" and the RSS organisational magazine "Organizer", but in response, the (then) interim government thought that there was a need for a first Constitutional amendment and that was brought in by the INC and it was essentially to curb the freedom. 

"So India, a democratic country which prides itself even today about freedom of expression saw the first interim government coming up with a Constitutional amendment which was to curb the freedom of speech of Indians and that within one year of adoption of the Constitution," she said. 

Sitharaman added that after Second World War, over 50 countries had become independent and had their Constitution written but many have changed their Constitutions, not just amended them but literally changed the entire feature of their Constitution. But our Constitution has stood the test of time, of course, yielded itself to very many amendments..."

"As we mark the 75th year of our Constitution, it is time, I would think, to reaffirm our commitment to build India that is 'Bharat' that shall uphold the spirit enshrined in this sacred document," she added.