Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched a sharp critique of former Congress leaders Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi during a debate in the upper house on the Constitution on Monday, accusing them of introducing constitutional amendments aimed at protecting the interests of those in power, rather than strengthening democracy.
Sitharaman said that after World War II, more than 50 countries gained independence and drafted their constitutions, many of which underwent significant changes over time. However, she said that India’s Constitution had withstood the test of time despite several amendments, some of which, she claimed, were not in the spirit of democracy.
“The first Constitutional Amendment was essentially aimed at curbing the freedom of speech,” Sitharaman said, highlighting that it followed the Supreme Court’s landmark judgments in 1950, which upheld the freedom of the press under Article 19(1)(A). The interim government’s response to these rulings, she added, was to enact amendments that limited free speech. She also pointed out the imprisonment of individuals like Majnu Sultanpuri and Balraj Sahani in 1949 for criticizing Nehru.
The Finance Minister also addressed the 39th Constitutional Amendment of 1975, enacted during the Emergency, which she said was a direct response to the Allahabad High Court’s verdict invalidating Indira Gandhi’s election. Sitharaman accused the Congress of passing the amendment to shield Indira Gandhi from legal challenges by making it impossible to challenge the election of key officials, including the Prime Minister, in court.
“Imagine, to save a chair, an amendment was made before the court judgment,” Sitharaman said.
She also criticized Congress for passing the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act in 1986, which she said denied Muslim women their right to alimony, contrasting it with her party’s Nari Shakti Adhiniyam, which aims to empower women.
Sitharaman concluded by slamming the imposition of the Emergency, accusing Congress of using constitutional amendments to safeguard its own power. She pointed out that during the Emergency, the term of the Lok Sabha was extended without justification, and amendments were passed with minimal opposition, effectively consolidating the ruling party’s control.
“These amendments were not about strengthening democracy but about protecting those in power,” she added.
(Inputs from ANI)