The Opposition, particularly the Congress and the Left, sought from the government's as to what prompted it to declare November 26 as the Constitution Day when the constitution had come in force on January 26, 1950 that is celebrated as the Republic Day.
BJP government came under heavy opposition fire in Rajya Sabha during the debate on commitment to India's constitution as part of 125th birth anniversary celebrations of Dr B R Ambedkar.
The Ppposition, particularly the Congress and the Left, sought from the government's as to what prompted it to declare November 26 as the Constitution Day when the constitution had come in force on January 26, 1950 that is celebrated as the Republic Day.
Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad and CPM's Sitaram Yechury questioned the sanctity of gazette notification issued by the ministry for social justice and empowerment to commemorate November 26 as the Constitution Day by circumventing the rules as the matter falls within the ambit of home ministry and the temerity of the education ministry to issue a circular on November 10 asking schools to celebrate the day.
Replying to finance minister Arun Jaitley long speech in which sang peans of Dr Ambedkar and indirectly took jibe at Congress's role of subverting democracy during emergency by subtly equating it with Hitler, leader of the opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad accused BJP of trying to appropriate the icons of India's freedom struggle without having such a leader of its own and trying to "manufacture a clash" between famous personalities like Sardar Patel, Nehru, dr Ambedkar, Maulana Azad and Netaji on the lines of the British policy of divide and rule.
"You can talk about German Constitution, its dictator ... but you feel ashamed to talk about Jawaharlal Nehru. ... You are not able to recognise the contribution of first Prime Minister .... This is called intolerance. It flows from the top and percolates down to the streets," said Azad reading out from the objectives that Nehru wrote and forwarded it to drafting committee under the chairmanship of Ambedkar.
Picking on Jaitley, Azad said it has become became clear that the discussion on Ambedkar and commitment towards the Constitution was actually a "shield to take aim at other targets."
Yechury was more ruthless in tearing apart the government as he described it as expert in inserting items or events in Indian politics.
"You (BJP government) have found a way through event management to worm your way into the national movement...This (Constitution Day) is one such event,"said Yechury inviting sharp comments from BJP member Tarun Vijay.
Questioning the relevance of newly coined Constitution Day, Yechury asked, "It was India Independence Act passed in the House of Commons by the then British PM Attlee that was in force during the interim period of two months from November 26, 1949 when the draft constitution was signed and January 26, 1950 when it came in force. What is the new thing that you are trying to project?"
What's its relevance?
Questioning the relevance of newly coined Constitution Day, Sitaram Yechury asked, "It was India Independence Act passed in the House of Commons by the then British PM Attlee that was in force during the interim period of two months from November 26, 1949 when the draft constitution was signed and January 26, 1950 when it came in force. What is the new thing that you are trying to project?"
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