‘Constitution no less than Gita, Quran & Bible for us’: Adhir Chowdhury in Lok Sabha
While speaking in the Lok Sabha at new Parliament complex during the five-day special session, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury read out the Preamble of the Constitution.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Tuesday said that nobody should try to create an unnecessary rift between ‘India’ and 'Bharat' as there is no difference between the two as per the constitution of India.
Follow Parliament LIVE Updates
While speaking in the Lok Sabha at the new Parliament complex on the second day of five-day special session, the Congress leader read out the Preamble of the Constitution and said that it is no less than the holy scriptures like Bhagwat Gita Quran and Bible for us.
Chowdhury said, "This Constitution is no less than Gita, Quran and Bible for us. Article 1 says, "India, that is Bharat, shall be a union of states..." It means that there is no difference between India and Bharat. It will be better if nobody tries to unnecessarily create a rift between the two."
The Congress leader was speaking on the political slugfest over India vs Bharat row which was erupted when an invite for a G20 dinner was sent out in the name of the 'President of Bharat' instead of the usual ‘President of India’. The attack on the name ‘India’ started when the 26 opposition parties got together and called itself the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A).
Meanwhile, the Congress LoP also claimed the credit for Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Women Reservation Bill).
"Women reservation was brought by PM Rajiv Gandhi in local body elections. Since then, Congress has been trying to bring law to give one-third reservation to women in Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies. It used to sometimes get passed in Lok Sabha, but failed in Rajya Sabha and vice-versa. The bill brought by the Manmohan government is still active," Chowdhury claimed.
Read here: Women's Reservation Bill to be tabled in Lok Sabha. 5 things to know about this legislation
Earlier today, all MPs proceeded to the new Parliament building after bidding farewell to the old structure designed by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker. The members of the Parliament attended a function in the Central Hall of the old Parliament building, marking the move to the new Parliament complex.
Chowdhury along with Rahul Gandhi and several other Congress and opposition leaders, walked from the old Parliament building to the new one holding aloft the Constitution.
While speaking at the joint sitting of both houses of parliament ahead of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha moving to the new building, the Congress leader said, "Having seized this opportunity, without making any compunction and without mincing any word, I must state that I feel elevated and elated of having stood in this podium which had witnessed a caravan of historical episode and numerous momentous events in the midst of the galaxy of luminaries who had racked up their brains and burned the midnight oil to frame the Constitution of India in this august House which was called the Constituent Assembly."
Read here: Parliament session kicks off in new building; PM Modi calls for ‘focus on women-led growth’
The five-day special session of Parliament was called by the government last month taking the opposition by surprise. The decision was announced by parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi. The Special Session of Parliament will end on Friday.
(With inputs from agencies)
