Constitution Debate Live Updates: 'Garibi hatao' was biggest 'jumla' of Congress for generations, PM Modi in Lok Sabha

When we open Constitution, we can hear voice, ideas of Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, he said.

Rahul Gandhi quotes VD Savarkar who had said that "there is nothing Indian about this Constitution".

"Their march is fair and in accordance with the Constitution. Everyone has the right to express their disagreement and march. Farmers are demanding a legal guarantee of MSP that was promised by the government. However, the government is running away from it," he said.

“Till 1966-68, all the elections used to happen together because the government used to run for 5 years. But then the system changed because coalition governments started forming and sometimes the government would fall… Bringing this without talking to the opposition is dictatorship,” he said.

"I want to tell the opposition to be patient and listen to the Prime Minister when he speaks. The way they were busy creating the narrative, even yesterday most of the opposition members raised their own issues instead of speaking on the completion of 75 years of the Constitution...PM Modi will be spreading a very good message on the Constitution today," he said.

"Yesterday what I said in the Parliament is all truth. There are three tests of constitution, democracy, they are electoral accountability, institutional accountability, and civil society accountability. This government has failed on all the three fronts. Today the constitution is in danger. Everybody appreciated my speech. It is natural for the BJP to have a problem with this," she said.

"...A narrative is being created. According to the survey of the Center for Policy Analysis in European Union, 48% people in European Union have been victims of discrimination. Most of them are Muslims, believers of Islam. In France, many discrimination reports were presented. In that, people from the majority Muslim community have objected to those who wear head scarves, burqas and said that this discrimination is being done against them. In Spain, the report of internal hate crimes against Muslims is so high, this has also been mentioned in the report...," he said

"You know the condition of Pakistan, what happens in Bangladesh, you people know what has happened to Sikhs, Hindus, Christians in Afghanistan, whether it is a problem in Tibet or Myanmar, Sri Lanka or Bangladesh, Pakistan or Afghanistan, if there is oppression against the minority or some problem arises, the first country where they come to seek protection is India. Then why is it said that there is no protection for minorities in this country...I am saying that such things should not be said which harm the image of the country, I am not saying this for any one party. I am saying this for the country," he added.

"...I come from such a region where I have seen airplane first and cars later because it was only after I became an MP the roads for cars were built. When the Prime Minister gave me the opportunity to sit in the place where Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar had sat. When I became the law minister of this country," he said.

"Before assuming the post of Law Minister, I first tried to understand what Baba Saheb Ambedkar wanted, what all things and thoughts were in his mind which he could not do. The first thing that came to my mind was that Baba Saheb Ambedkar became the first Law Minister of this country but why did he resign is not often discussed in front of people. I read the letter which Baba Saheb Ambedkar wrote to Pandit Nehru ji who was the Prime Minister....Our Constitution is not only the largest Constitution in the world but also the most beautiful Constitution in the world," he added.

"...I feel proud that when Prime Minister Modi's tenure started, following the Constitution, the same spirit, he placed the mantra of his government in front of this country. And that mantra is Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas," he said.

"We are very disturbed by the fact that the government is refusing to give the special relief package to Wayanad. We have requested the PM, everyone, to declare that this is a calamity of severe nature and give a special package. Now, similar, large-scale destruction took place in Himachal Pradesh where Congress is in power. They have been demanding for the longest time that the Centre helps and gives assistance that is required to victims. Whole government has seen devastation, pain and suffering. Yet, just because of politics, in both cases the central government is refusing to do what is due to the victims," she said.

PM Modi is set to reply on Constitution debate later in the day.

"Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's comical self-goal and bizarre blunder about the Himachal Pradesh Congress government singularly stood out as the embarrassing highlight of her hollow, shallow, empty rhetoric in Parliament yesterday. Her speech showed how cut off she is from ground reality and public sentiment. Priyanka Gandhi was ill-prepared, uninformed and so unaware that she launched a blistering attack on her own Himachal Congress rule rather than Congress's misruled government and said that this Congress government had done big favours to industrialists and as a result, the small-scale farmers are in tears, in misery," Kesavan told ANI.

"Why did Priyanka Gandhi make such a big mistake in Parliament yesterday? Probably what was running in her mind which made her nervous was that Prime Minister Modiji would also be speaking on the same Constitution debate today. So Priyanka Gandhi knew that whatever lies and falsehoods she was peddling would be countered and will be shredded and the Congress false narrative would be unmasked by the Prime Minister in his speech today which is probably why she slipped and committed this blunder," he added.

Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal is set to introduce two significant bills in the Lok Sabha on December 16 (Monday).

"The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024: Arjun Ram Meghwal to move for leave to introduce a Bill further to amend the Constitution of India. Also to introduce the Bill," the list of business said.

This bill is part of the ongoing efforts to facilitate simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, as well as to synchronize elections for assemblies in Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, and Puducherry.

Additionally, Meghwal will move for the introduction of the "Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024," which aims to amend several laws, including the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963, the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to respond to the debate on the 75th anniversary of India's Constitution in the Lok Sabha on Saturday. The two-day debate, which began on December 13, commemorates the adoption of the Constitution 75 years ago.

On Friday, the debate saw intense exchanges, with fiery speeches from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Singh opened the discussion by emphasizing the Constitution's historical significance and its role in shaping India's governance and global stature. He reflected on the extensive deliberations that led to its creation, highlighting how it embodies India's civilizational values.

In his remarks, Singh also criticized attempts by Congress to attribute the Constitution’s creation solely to a single political party. He stressed that such efforts ignore the collective contributions of various individuals and the Constitution’s deep-rooted connection to India's cultural and civilizational heritage.

Union minister and JD(U) MP Rajiv Ranjan Singh on Friday accused previous Congress governments of misusing Article 356 to topple opposition-led state governments, claiming the party has no right to speak about the Constitution. He highlighted that Article 356 was invoked multiple times under leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru (7 times), Indira Gandhi (51 times), Rajiv Gandhi (6 times), Narasimha Rao (11 times), and Manmohan Singh (12 times). Singh argued that those who have "defiled the Constitution" cannot present themselves as its protectors, as they attempt to do by carrying a copy of it.

Regarding the demand for a caste census raised by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Singh noted that when it was proposed at the INDIA bloc meeting in Mumbai, Rahul Gandhi remained silent. He added that the Congress leadership, feeling entitled to rule, has been sidelined by the people, relegating it to the opposition for 15 years.

BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab also weighed in, criticizing Jawaharlal Nehru for his decisions on Jammu and Kashmir, which he claimed caused lasting suffering, including the deaths of many soldiers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP faced strong criticism in the Lok Sabha over allegations of an "assault on secularism." Opposition parties accused them of fostering fear among minorities through attacks on their communities and religious sites. They urged the Prime Minister to break free from his party's "agenda of division and hatred."

Mentioning the Gujarat riots and lynching incidents, he said the worrying backdrop demanded that the President mention “secularism and socialism” in her speech, but their omission showed “govt is allergic” to the two principles. “So, Constitution Day is mere tokenism,” he said.

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra made her debut speech in the Lok Sabha. She criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of treating the Constitution as the "Sangh ka Vidhan" (RSS manual) rather than “Bharat ka Samvidhan” (Constitution of India).

She noted that while the Prime Minister reveres the Constitution, he remains indifferent to calls for justice from places like Sambhal, Hathras, and Manipur, alleging that the BJP-led government was undermining the constitutional guarantees of justice, unity, and freedom of expression.

“The Prime Minister touches his forehead to the Constitution, but when there are cries for justice from Sambhal, Hathras and Manipur, there is not a wrinkle on his forehead,” she said.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh emphasized that the Indian Constitution was not the creation of a single party but a transformative document rooted in "civilisational values."

He highlighted the influence of figures such as Veer Savarkar, Madan Mohan Malviya, Bhagat Singh, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and Syama Prasad Mookerjee, all of whom, despite not being part of the Constituent Assembly, contributed to shaping the Constitution. Singh countered claims that the Constitution was colonial or borrowed, asserting that it embodies the legacy of India’s freedom struggle.

“Some people consider our Constitution as colonial, while others say it has been borrowed. Some claim it is a gift from one party. The fact is it carries the legacy of our freedom struggle,” he said.