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Striking a conciliatory note in the Lok Sabha on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said “consensus is more important than majority rule”, adding “that if one group has majority, it doesn’t mean things can be forced”.
“India First is the government’s dharma (religion) and the Constitution is its scripture,” Modi said. He also ruled out any review of the Constitution, adding that “anybody who thinks of doing so would be committing suicide”. The Prime Minister was addressing the House after a two-day-long discussion on Commitment to the Constitution to mark the 125th birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar.
Reaching out The Prime Minister’s remarks are significant as his government makes all-out efforts to reach out to Congress, the principal Opposition party, to garner support for key reform Bills such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill, since the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party does not have a majority in the Rajya Sabha.
Paying rich tributes to Ambedkar’s “greatness”, Modi said there was no trace of any vengefulness in the Constitution for the life-long humiliation he faced as a Dalit.
The Prime Minister also praised Jawaharlal Nehru, the country’s first Prime Minister, for his contribution to the making of the Constitution, but added that had Ambedkar not been there, it would have not have been a ‘social document’ that it is.
Modi said it was a difficult task to prepare the Constitution of a country that housed 12 religions, 122 languages and 1,600 dialects. Taking a dig at present day “ chunavi dalbhakti ” (electoral interests), he said, it was difficult to make a perfect legislation for want of consensus on a word or even the colour of a picture.
Under attack from the Opposition on “growing intolerance” in the country, the Prime Minister made it a point to stress that “diversity was India’s strength”, and had to be nurtured, quoting Sanskrit shlokas to illustrate his “Idea of India”.
He said the government planned to make the whole country, especially the younger generation, aware about the Constitution and its provisions, about the ‘rights and responsibilities’, by holding debates, seminars and online competitions.
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