Alleging that the Constitution is “being attacked by way of a vicious conspiracy”, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday said India’s 71st Republic Day should be an occasion for every citizen to reaffirm their commitment to the values enshrined in the statute.
“Seventy years ago, our great Constitution was drafted and adopted as per the aspirations and desires of all countrymen and women. The cardinal principles of justice, equality, freedom, secularism and fraternity run through the veins of our Constitution. Every letter of the Constitution is not a mere a printed word but a living philosophy for every citizen,” Ms. Gandhi said in a statement on the eve of Republic Day.
She said the path to the Constitution was laid by the sacrifices of millions of Indians and freedom fighters led by Mahatma Gandhi.
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“Today, the Constitution and its values are being attacked by way of a concerted and vicious conspiracy. Constitutional principles are being systematically encroached upon... independence of constitutional institutions is being scuttled... at the whims of autocratic authoritarianism. It is the duty of every citizen to stand united in defence of the Constitution,” the Congress chief said.
Ms. Gandhi said amidst a gloomy economic scenario where farmers are in distress, youth are facing unprecedented levels of unemployment, factories and small businesses are closing down, the State has come down hard on any form dissent.
“A deep rooted conspiracy has been hatched to set a discourse to divide the countrymen based on religion, regionalism and language as also to subvert and undermine the Constitution. An unprecedented atmosphere of disturbance, fear and insecurity has been foisted upon the country. The common citizen is convinced that the constitutional values are no longer safe in the hands of the present dispensation,” she said.
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Today, the onus of protecting the Constitution is on the shoulders of every Indian, Ms. Gandhi said.
Urging citizens to leave aside personal prejudices, she said, “Every countryman and woman must reaffirm and assimilate one’s duty towards guarding the Constitution and defending India’s unity. This is the litmus test for our commitment to the Constitution and our patriotism.”