NEW DELHI: The BJP has described the bills on religion as “politically perverse, constitution ally questionable and culturally corrosive of national values” and declared that it would make this draconian colorable legislative exercise a core issue in the coming elections.
“It will be as major an issue in coming elections as the 42nd Constitutional Amendment was in the 1977 polls,” L.K.Advani said on Aug.20. The proposed 80th Constitutional Amendment, the BJP chief observed, was & grave assault on democracy and would undermine the concept of secularism as en shrined in the Constitution.
Talking to newspersons after the select committee presented its report to the Lok Sabha, Advani said the argument that secularism was in danger was as “phoney” as the Congress” argument in 1975 that democracy was in danger. What ‘was in danger then and is in danger now, is the constitution of Congress in power,” he observed.
Releasing the note of dissent, the BJP leader said he had demanded withdrawal of the Bill in the meetings of the select committee as the amendments tabled by the Government were in contravention of the aims and objectives mentioned in it. The BJP’s note of dissident dis cussed political motivation of the ruling party, constitutional and legal infirmities from which the bills suffered.
Under the pretext of delinking religion from politics, it pointed out, the actual intent was to delink the BJP from politics. The omissions virtually confer legitimacy on the abuse of these factors for the purpose of securing electoral dividends” it added.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 27, 1993
