Opposition protests to ‘save soul’ of Constitution

The Congress on Constitution Day said it resolved to save the soul of the Constitution by not allowing it to be mortgaged to an “autocratic government blinded by the insatiable lust for power”.

Upset over political developments in Maharashtra, the Congress and other opposition parties boycotted Constitution Day celebrations in the Central Hall of Parliament and held a joint protest in front of the Ambedkar statue inside Parliament complex.

Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazagham, Samajwadi Party, Nationalist Congress Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India-Marxist, Trinamool Congress, Indian Union Muslim League, and Shiv Sena leaders skipped the joint sitting of both the Houses in Parliament as a mark of protest against the BJP’s alleged high-handedness in Maharashtra.

WATCH: Sonia Gandhi reads out the Preamble of the Constitution in Parliament premises

 

In a first, the Congress was supported by the Shiv Sena in the protest.

The protest was led by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh and party leader Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress and opposition leaders met at Parliament House on Tuesday morning to finalise the protest.

Sonia Gandhi led the protesters in taking a pledge to uphold the Constitution. She read out the Preamble to the Constitution and resolved to stand by the fundamental values of the Constitution.

Among leaders who protested outside were DMK’s T R Baalu, Shiv Sena’s Arvind Sawant, TMC’s Saugata Roy, NCP’s Majeed Memon.

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