Opposition parties hit back: ‘Journey of Constitution ended in 2014’

AAP’s Sanjay Singh said the BJP opposes secularism and “are finding temples under mosques across the country”.

Written by: Nikhila Henry, Lalmani Verma

3 min readNew DelhiDec 18, 2024 02:31 AM IST

RJD’s Manoj Jha and Sena UBT’s Sanjay Raut in RS. (PTI)

During the Constitution debate in the Rajya Sabha Tuesday, the Opposition members accused the Government of systematically weakening and undermining the Constitution and the BJP for “constantly criticising” the country’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.

Calling him “a symbol of parliamentary democracy against authoritarianism”, RJD’s Manoj Kumar Jha said it was not Nehru who had lost the general elections in 2014, 2019 and 2024 but the Opposition and the Congress and those criticising him should keep in mind the situation in 1946 and 1947. He said mistakes would have happened but questioned why somebody was being projected as a villain.

“Constructing the ground floor of a house is the hardest task. Nehru, (B R ) Ambedkar, (Sardar) Patel and (Maulana) Azad built the foundation. You (BJP-NDA) are constructing the second and third floors. You may construct five more floors but without the foundation, the floors are of no use,” Jha said.

Also Read | In RS, Nadda takes aim at Congress: Bad lot interfered with Constitution

“You (BJP) may win elections for another 100 years but you will find Nehru (still) standing because he is a symbol of parliamentary democracy against authoritarianism. He is a shield (dhaal, raksha kavach),” Jha said.

AAP’s Sanjay Singh said the BJP opposes secularism and “are finding temples under mosques across the country”. “They are running a Bharat Khodo Yojana (digging up the country),” he said.

Sanjay Raut of Shiv Sena (UBT) said the House was holding a discussion on the glorious journey of the Constitution of India “but that journey ended in 2014”. “If their 400-paar slogan had come true, they would not have retreated from amending the Constitution and today’s debate would have been on why the Constitution had to be amended. ‘We the people of India’, are the beginning words of our Constitution. But this has changed in the last 10 years to ‘Hum Modi ke log (We the people of Modi)”.

Sagarika Ghose of TMC said in a democracy it is the citizen who is sovereign. “When a government is dictating (to) a citizen what to wear, what to eat, whom to marry, what to think, what to read, write, what movies to watch, the citizen is not sovereign…”
BSP’s Ramji Gautam said said Dalit and OBC communities have yet not got social and economic justice.

Nikhila Henry

Nikhila Henry is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Hyderabad. With a career spanning 17 years, she has established herself as an authoritative voice on South Indian affairs, specialising in the complex intersections of politics, education, and social justice. Experience & Career: Nikhila commenced her journalism career in 2007 as an education correspondent for The Times of India in Hyderabad,where she gained recognition for her coverage of student politics. Her professional trajectory includes a four-year tenure at The Hindu, where she focused on minority affairs and social welfare. In 2019, she took on a leadership role as the South Bureau Chief for The Quint, where she directed regional coverage across all five South Indian states. Her expansive career also includes a tenure at the BBC in New Delhi and contributions to prestigious international outlets such as The Sunday Times (London) and HuffPost India. Expertise & Focus Areas Nikhila’s reportage is marked by a deep-seated understanding of grassroots movements and institutional policy. Her core focus areas include: Regional Politics: Comprehensive analysis of the socio-political dynamics across South India. Education & Student Movements: Chronicling the evolution of Indian academics and the rise of youth activism. Minority Affairs: Rigorous reporting on the welfare, rights, and challenges facing marginalized communities. National Beat: Elevating regional stories to national prominence through investigative and on-ground reporting. Authoritativeness & Trust A respected figure in Indian media, Nikhila is not only a seasoned reporter but also an accomplished author and editor. She authored the critically acclaimed book The Ferment: Youth Unrest in India and edited Caste is Not a Rumour, a collection of writings by Rohith Vemula. Her dual background in daily news reporting and long-form authorship allows her to provide readers with a nuanced, historically-informed perspective on contemporary Indian society. Find all stories by Nikhila Henry here. ... Read More

Lalmani Verma

Lalmani is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, and is based in New Delhi. He covers politics of the Hindi Heartland, tracking BJP, Samajwadi Party, BSP, RLD and other parties based in UP, Bihar and Uttarakhand. Covered the Lok Sabha elections of 2014, 2019 and 2024; Assembly polls of 2012, 2017 and 2022 in UP along with government affairs in UP and Uttarakhand. ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Loading Recommendations...

Apr 17: Latest News

Live Blog