MUMBAI, FEB 17: Former Prime Minister V P Singh added his bit to the ongoing debate on the review of the Constitution by urging the Government to follow constitutional procedures and set up a parliamentary sub-committee to look into the matter.Speaking at a symposium on the review of the Constitution, organised by the Chaityabhoomi Machimar Bachao Andolan this evening, Singh lashed out at the Government for ``bypassing both political parties and the Parliament'' while setting up the review committee. Terming it a ``review without any proper view'', Singh said the Government should clearly state what is on their agenda.Giving his suggestions, Singh said the right way to go about this would be to first let the Parliament set up a committee, which in turn could appoint a sub-committee. And it is only after discussions on what the review would exactly mean are through that the drafting committee of experts should be asked to frame the changes.Advocating amendments in certain articles, including Article 356 which deals with emergency powers and those dealing with defection of elected members of parliament, Singh warned against changing the ``basic nature of the Constitution''. He specifically emphasised that articles dealing with the reservation issue of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes should not be touched.He also advocated a strong public opinion if the Government intended to review the Constitution. ``The general masses should never be ignored'' he said.Earlier, retired justice Suresh Hosbet spoke vehemently against the Government's attempt to bring in its ``hidden agenda'' through the review of the Constitution. Displaying recent photographs of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Home Minister L K Advani at a RSS function, Hosbet said they were sending out wrong signals to the people of the country.
