“These are all just gimmicks”: HD Kumaraswamy slams INDIA bloc

Union Minister, HD Kumaraswamy on Monday slammed the INDIA bloc for holding a protest by carrying copies of the Constitution to the Parliament, amid the row over the appointment of the pro-tem speaker.

New Delhi: Amid the row over the appointment of the pro-tem speaker, Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Monday slammed the INDIA bloc for holding a protest by carrying copies of the Constitution to the Parliament in the national capital. “These are all just gimmicks…” said HD Kumaraswamy.

Speaking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remark on the Emergency, the Union Minister called him “right”, adding to that he said, “He remembered what happened at that time.” Meanwhile, Congress MP Manickam Tagore launched a scathing attack against the PM Modi-led centre and said, “Everyday democracy is facing threat in India. For the past 10 years, every activity of Mr Modi has been against democratic forces. Even the statues of Gandhi ji and Babasaheb Ambedkar in Parliament have been removed and kept somewhere else…This is the way they want to run this country and they are lecturing us about democracy. This is very ridiculous for the Prime Minister, Mr Modi. ” Tagore further stated that PM Modi has lost the confidence of the people. “His party is reduced from 303 to 240. So, he will repeat these kinds of things again and again,” he added further.

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Speaking on the protest carried out by the INDIA bloc leaders he said that it was an attempt to remind the government that Constitution is everything for this country. “We wanted to show that we stand for the Constitution and we wanted to remind the Government that the Constitution is everything for this country and any step to disturb or change the Constitution won’t be tolerated,” he added.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi lashed out at the opposition over the emergency while addressing media persons outside the new Parliament building before taking oath as a Member of Parliament.

Recalling the 21-month period of emergency that was implemented in the country on June 25, 1975, PM Modi said the new generation of India will never forget that time when the country was turned into a prison, adding that they will take a resolution of a vibrant democracy so that no one will dare to do such a thing in India again.

“Tomorrow is 25th June. 25th June marks 50 years since the blot that was put on the democracy of India. The new generation of India will never forget that the Constitution of India was completely rejected, every part of the Constitution was torn to pieces, the country was turned into a prison, and democracy was completely suppressed,” he said.

“While protecting our Constitution, while protecting the democracy of India and the democratic traditions, the countrymen will take a resolution that no one will dare to do such a thing in India again, which was done 50 years ago. We will take a resolution of a vibrant democracy. We will take a resolution to fulfil the dreams of the common people as per the directions of the Constitution of India,” PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister concluded his address by stating that the country hopes and expects the opposition to maintain the dignity of democracy, adding that the people want substance, not slogans.