North News
New Delhi, December 16
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday criticized the Congress party, accusing it of repeatedly amending the Constitution to benefit its leaders and suppress freedoms. Addressing Rajya Sabha members during the Constitution Debate, she alleged that Congress’s legacy included curbing free speech and undermining democracy to protect political power.
“Amendments were used to strengthen the family, not democracy,” Sitharaman said, pointing to instances like the jailing of poet Majrooh Sultanpuri in 1949 for criticizing then-Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. She listed bans imposed during Congress rule, including books such as Nehru: A Political Biography, John Dalvi’s Himalayan Blunder, and Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses, as well as the film Kissa Kursi Ka.
Sitharaman highlighted BJP’s initiatives to promote women’s participation in politics, citing resolutions and constitutional amendments introduced by the party since 1994. She noted, “I am a beneficiary of BJP’s 33% reservation for women in organizational posts.”
Comparing financial inclusion efforts, she criticized the outcomes of Congress-era bank nationalization policies. “By 2011, less than 60% of households had access to banking services. In contrast, over 54 crore Jan Dhan accounts, 56% of them owned by women, have been opened since 2014,” she said. She detailed BJP-led schemes like PM MUDRA, Stand-Up India, and PM SVANidhi, emphasizing women’s significant share in the beneficiaries.
Referring to constitutional amendments, Sitharaman claimed Congress stifled freedom of speech with the First Constitutional Amendment of 1951. “The interim government added restrictions like public order and friendly relations with foreign states to Article 19(2), curbing press freedom,” she said, citing legal challenges Congress faced from magazines such as Crossroads and The Organiser.
The Finance Minister also accused Congress of ignoring marginalized communities, claiming the party delayed publishing the Kaka Kalelkar Commission report on backward classes and denied Dr. B.R. Ambedkar due recognition. In contrast, she credited the BJP for creating the OBC Commission through the 102nd Constitutional Amendment in 2018.
Sitharaman ended by defending her credibility, rebuffing accusations from Congress leader Jairam Ramesh. “Calling me a liar is in Congress’s blood,” she said, adding that despite supporting the GST Constitution Amendment, Congress leaders later derided it as the ‘Gabbar Singh Tax.’
Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday responded sharply to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s remarks, questioning the education and values of those who studied at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
Kharge emphasized that JNU has produced progressive thinkers who contributed significantly to the nation’s growth in fields like economics, political science, and history. He expressed concern that some were now focusing on undermining democratic principles.
Referring to the RSS, Kharge said the group opposed the Indian Constitution in 1949, as it was not based on the Manusmriti. He also criticized the RSS for not accepting the tricolor until a court order in 2002, when the national flag was first hoisted at the organization’s headquarters.
