Cong has always chosen power over Constitution, says Rajnath

'No problem with caste census, let your blueprint specify quotas'

- VIKAS PATHAK

FROM LISTING THE excesses of the Emergency to the toppling of elected governments to overturning the Shah Bano verdict to undermine the judiciary, BJP senior leader and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh mounted a scathing attack Friday on the Opposition Congress, saying it has never respected the Constitution and has always chosen "power over the Constitution".

Initiating the two-day 'Discussion on the Glorious Journey of 75 Years of the Constitution of India' in Lok Sabha, Singh moved to blunt the Opposition demand for a caste census in the country: "I have no problem with your demand for a caste census but it should not be used to deceive people. You should bring a blueprint on how much reservation you want to offer to which caste. If such a blueprint is furnished, I suggest that Parliament discuss it."

Beginning his speech by paying tribute to the security personnel who laid down their lives to defend Parliament during a terror attack on December 13, 2001, Singh targeted the Congress, saying one political party has tried to claim the Constitution as its own despite it being a collective work.

"Some claim that one party gave the Constitution. The fact is that our Constitution is an expression of our civilizational values. It carries the legacy of our freedom struggle. It is a roadmap for national unity and integrity and for the dignity of citizens. There were also people who were not members of the Constituent Assembly but whose legacy is part of the Constitution."