Congress considered Constitution ‘private fiefdom’ of one family: Amit Shah

In a blistering attack on the Congress, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday alleged that the opposition party had considered the Constitution as a "private fiefdom" of one family.

Replying to a discussion in Rajya Sabha on the 75 years of the adoption of the Constitution, Shah also targeted the opposition parties over their allegations concerning the electronic voting machine.

"The Congress considered the Constitution as 'private fiefdom' of one family and deceived Parliament," he said, adding that even before the first elections in the country, Jawaharlal Nehru effected the first Constitutional amendment to curtail the freedom of expression.

"They (Congress) did nothing except eulogising one family”.

Shah said the opposition parties were finding faults with the EVM after losing elections, though the Supreme Court had repeatedly rejected petitions on the issue.

The home minister claimed that the current debate in parliament would help the people of the country to understand which party has honoured the Constitution and which has not. He recalled the efforts of Sardar Patel for the unification of the country.

“When we look back on 75 years of Constitution, I want to thank Sardar Patel as due to his tireless efforts we are standing tall in the world as one nation,” Shahs said.

Shah asserted that India’s democracy is deep-rooted and the people of the country have given befitting replies to those who said the country would never be able to become economically independent.

"In the last 75 years, there have been many nations that became independent and had new beginnings but democracy did not succeed there. But our democracy is deep-rooted. We made numerous changes without shedding a drop of blood. The people of this country have shattered the arrogance of multiple dictators and that too democratically," Shah said.