Modi has held 284 roadshows so far for this year's election and has given 31 television interviews in recent days
Denying the charge that he would alter the Constitution if he is re-elected, Modi pointed out that the First Amendment to the Constitution was brought about by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1951 through the Provisional Parliament that had only limited franchise; the first Lok Sabha under the Constitution of India was elected in 1952, which made changes to the right to free speech and expression (the Supreme Court recently said it may consider a PIL to examine the validity of the First Amendment). He further referred to the imposition of Emergency in 1975 by Indira Gandhi and cited the Rajiv Gandhi regime's legislation to overturn the Supreme Court's Shah Bano verdict as yet another Congress-era constitutional oddity that ultimately resulted in the denial of rights to Muslim women.
NATIONAL - Modi has held 284 roadshows so far for this year's election and has given 31 television interviews in recent days. In one of those interviews, conducted soon after he filed his nomination, PM Modi, upon being questioned about his criticism of 'parivarvaad' (dynastic politics), said that his kinship extends to all 140 crore Indians, and that unlike many who treat supporters as 'janata' (public) or 'sevak' (workers), he prefers to see them as family. To accusations that he is an "autocrat", Modi said it was an abuse hurled at not him but the voters who have given him two mandates.
Denying the charge that he would alter the Constitution if he is re-elected, Modi pointed out that the First Amendment to the Constitution was brought about by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1951 through the Provisional Parliament that had only limited franchise; the first Lok Sabha under the Constitution of India was elected in 1952, which made changes to the right to free speech and expression (the Supreme Court recently said it may consider a PIL to examine the validity of the First Amendment). He further referred to the imposition of Emergency in 1975 by Indira Gandhi and cited the Rajiv Gandhi regime's legislation to overturn the Supreme Court's Shah Bano verdict as yet another Congress-era constitutional oddity that ultimately resulted in the denial of rights to Muslim women.
Modi also recalled how in 2013, Rahul tore up an ordinance that sought to provide a safety net for convicted legislators. The ordinance had been passed by the Manmohan Singh Cabinet, a duly recognised constitutional body, and was signed by the President of India, the highest constitutional authority. Modi asked whether that was not an insult to the constitution. Notably, Rahul's act, perhaps intended to announce his arrival as the new Congress boss, had come barely a few hours ahead of Manmohan Singh's White House meeting with the then US President, Barack Obama. The Congress government was defied when the Prime Minister was on a state visit abroad. The irony is that a decade later, Rahul's own brashness came back to haunt him when he was convicted for defamation by a Surat court last year, with no legal protection to cushion the blow.
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