Rajya Sabha on Tuesday witnessed an uproar during Zero Hour after BJP MP Radha Mohan Das Agrawal raised the issue of the 22 “missing” miniature illustrations of artist Nandlal Bose from newer copies of the Indian Constitution. Agrawal’s intervention prompted Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar to direct the government to make amends and ensure that only the authentic copy of the Constitution is available. During his intervention and in a veiled accusation against the Congress, Agrawal said some people omitted key portions of the Constitution adopted on January 26, 1950, which contained illustrations depicting Indian civilisation and culture. Agrawal referred to the illustrations of the Indus Valley seal, Ram, Buddha, Mahavir, Krishna and Arjun from the epic Mahabharata, Samrat Vikramaditya, Laxmibai, Shivaji and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. “If a citizen or a student goes to buy a copy of the Constitution he is unable to get the original version signed by the makers of our Constitution. I am not aware for what reason and when this happened, but key portions of that version of the Constitution were omitted unconstitutionally, we all know that constitutional amendments have to follow a procedure, including removal of full stop and commas,” he said. Soon, an uproar ensued from the Opposition benches at Agrawal’s veiled attack. Dhankhar intervened and said that the government must act on the issue. “I have no doubt and I am categorical, the Constitution signed by the founding fathers of the Constitution, carrying 22 miniatures is the only authentic one and it can include amendments by the Parliament. If there is any change effected by judiciary or any institution is not acceptable to this House,” Dhankhar said. He added, “I appeal to the Leader of the House to ensure that in the country only the authentic version of the Indian Constitution should be promulgated, any violation should be taken seriously by the government and serious action taken.” Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge termed the issue “unnecessary” and said it was an attempt to create a controversy and to defame Dr B R Ambedkar. To this, Leader of the House Jagat Prakash Nadda said that an important issue was raised. Nadda was given a weighty copy of the original version and, showing it to the House, he said, “These illustrations are not printed and published in today’s copies. The government will ensure that the Constitution is published with the full emotions it was intended to be done.” He also requested the chairman to expunge Kharge’s remarks regarding the defamation of Ambedkar. As the House stood divided over the intervention, Derek O’Brien of the All India Trinamool Congress pointed out to Dhankhar that the digital copies provided at the bench of the members did not contain the said illustrations. “On my computer here, I have 404 pages of the Constitution, then this one must also be illegal, because there are no illustrations in this,” he said. To this, Dhankhar said, “A very valid issue has come to the attention of the Council of States. Dr Radha Mohan Das Agrawal has rightly pointed out the act of omission or commission, either on our iPads or any book, without carrying the 22 miniatures…and signed by our founding fathers.” Kharge also sought to know whether the copies provided by the House to the Members of Parliament included those illustrations. However, Congress MPs walked out soon after. Lamenting the walkout of Kharge and his colleagues, Dhankhar said, “I am puzzled and surprised, the Leader of Opposition has walked out, I do not find any rational ground. It is, according to me, a direct insult to B R Ambedkar, how can anyone contemplate coming in the way of dissemination of that Constitution, of which the architect is B R Ambedkar.” Kharge later posted on the social media platform X that the 22 illustrations were made by Nandlal Bose on Mahatma Gandhi’s request. He accused the Narendra Modi-led government of decimating the ideals of the Constitution in the past ten years and added that this was why the people kept the party from achieving “400 paar” in the Lok Sabha elections. संविधान में जो 22 Illustrations हैं, वो महात्मा गाँधी जी के कहने पर मशहूर चित्रकार नंदलाल बोस जी ने बनाए थे। चित्रों के साथ अद्भुत Calligraphy का काम प्रेम बिहारी नारायण रायज़ादा जी द्वारा किया गया था, जिन्होंने भुगतान के बदले में नेहरू से पूछा कि क्या वह पांडुलिपि में उनके नाम… — Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) February 11, 2025 “Those who have printed the constitution for the convenience of the common people have focussed on the values of the constitution, instead of the calligraphy and illustrations. That is what was also desired by our forefathers, the makers of the constitution, and it has been going on for decades,” Kharge posted on X.
