PM Modi marked the beginning of the maiden session of the new Lok Sabha by lobbing the “Constitution” issue back at the INDIA bloc, asking everybody to ensure that there was no subversion of the Constitution as during the Emergency.
A day before the 49th anniversary of the Indira Gandhi govt’s decision to curb dissent by imposing Emergency, Modi urged people to ensure such an attempt to “blacken” the Constitution is never repeated and pledged to safeguard it.
His remarks came as the opposition, flush with the success of its allegation that Modi-led BJP had sought 400+ seats to change the Constitution, carried on with the theme. Members of Congress, TMC, DMK, Left and others held a protest after paying respects at Mahatma Gandhi’s statue in Parliament complex, holding copies of the Constitution and “promising to protect it”.
Opposition MPs flashed copies of the Constitution in what appeared to be a celebration of the success in paring down BJP’s numbers.
Taking up suspension of democracy and civil rights during the Emergency, he said, “These 50 years since the Emergency remind us to protect our Constitution and democracy with pride. The countrymen must resolve that such a travesty will never be allowed to happen again. We commit ourselves to ensuring a vibrant democracy and fulfilling the common man’s dreams as outlined by the Indian Constitution.”
PM Modi, others take oath amid Oppn protests
The routine custom of newly-elected Lok Sabha members being administered oath by the pro tem Speaker was marred with opposition members nominated by the President to the panel of chairpersons refusing to take oath when their scheduled turn arrived in order to avoid presiding over the session in the absence of pro tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab.
PM Modi was the first to take oath followed by members of the panel of chairpersons, which included Radha Mohan Singh and Faggan Singh Kulaste of BJP, after which the council of ministers took oath before other MPs in alphabetical order.
However, the three opposition MPs in the panel of chairpersons - K Suresh (Congress), Sudip Bandyopadhyay (Trinamool Congress) and T R Balu (DMK) - gave a miss to the oath-taking. They were listed just after PM Modi and ahead of the council of ministers.
