Forces inimical to secularism in office, says DMK; BJP protests – Times of India

NEW DELHI: DMK MP A Raja Saturday provoked an uproar from the BJP camp in Lok Sabha when he said BR Ambedkar did not initially include “secularism” in the preamble of the Constitution as he did not expect that forces inimical to secularism would govern. Agitated BJP MPs protested the use of a word to describe the governing party, which was later expunged from records.
Raja said BJP netas were hypocritical in championing the Constitution because the “No 2” in the regime had told a govt function that BJP intended to change the basic structure of the Constitution, and a BJP functionary had said before elections that on getting 400 seats, the party will change the Constitution and declare India a ‘Hindu rashtra’.
Raja, in his fiery speech which invited repeated protests from the treasury benches, said Ambedkar was cold to including “secularism” in the preamble because he argued that the entire Constitution was secular, as Articles 15, 26, 28 specifically prohibited discrimination on the basis of religion. Raja said VD Savarkar had coined the two-nation theory, even as he criticised PM Narendra Modi for praising Savarkar in his Independence Day speech alongside Ambedkar.
Raja said DMK had suffered during Emergency, but has still chosen to sit with Congress because it feels Constitution and nation are above all. He accused BJP for destroying all six elements of the Constitution’s basic structure – democracy, secularism, rule of law, equality, federalism and judicial independence. He mentioned the arrest of activist Stan Swamy, saying he was arrested for dissent, and later died.
Congress MP Praniti Shinde lamented that a replica of the Constitution was defiled in Maharashtra within five days of the BJP govt taking oath. She said RSS had never accepted the tricolour arguing “three” was inauspicious.
RSP MP NK Premachandran said the PM spoke about “400 paar” because BJP wanted to change the Constitution, but people decided to save India’s secular fabric. NC MP Mian Altaf criticised decision to divide J&K into two UTs. He said restoration of statehood was promised after assembly polls, but there is no word yet on fulfilling the commitment.