A fierce exchange unfolded in the Rajya Sabha on Monday as the House debated the Constitution of India, with Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge clashing over historical interpretations and party legacies. Sitharaman launched a scathing attack on the Congress party and its leaders, including former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, asserting that the constitutional amendments they enacted were aimed at protecting those in power rather than strengthening democracy.
VIDEO | “I have to tell them that I also know how to read. I have studied in municipality school, she (Nirmala Sitharaman) has studied in Jawaharlal Nehru University, it is certain that her English will be good, her Hindi will be good, but the deeds are not good,” says Congress… pic.twitter.com/1PFqGVS9II
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 16, 2024
Sitharaman emphasized that India, a nation that prides itself on freedom of expression, witnessed its first interim government introduce a constitutional amendment to restrict free speech within a year of the Constitution’s adoption.
In response, Kharge countered Sitharaman’s assertions, stating that while she may possess strong language skills, her actions do not reflect good deeds. “I have to tell them that I also know how to read. I have studied in a municipality school; she has studied in Jawaharlal Nehru University. Her English will certainly be good, her Hindi will be good, but the deeds are not good,” Kharge remarked.
Kharge further questioned the motives of those who “hate” the Constitution, the national flag, and the Ashok Chakra, suggesting they were attempting to instruct the Congress party on its legacy. He recalled instances when individuals burned the Constitution and torched effigies of prominent leaders like Babasaheb Ambedkar, Nehru, and Mahatma Gandhi on the day the Constitution was adopted.
Defending the Congress party, Kharge highlighted that while many powerful nations did not grant universal adult franchise or women’s voting rights at the time, the Congress and the Constitution provided these rights to the nation. He noted that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Jansangh (now BJP) opposed these progressive measures.
Kharge concluded by stating that the debates from the Constituent Assembly indicate that the leaders of the RSS were against the Constitution.
