Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday said that the original manuscript of the Indian Constitution featured images of Hindu gods and gurus, suggesting the extent of ‘minority appeasement’ and ‘pseudo secularism’ prevalent in the country.
According to a Daily Mail report, Prasad, while addressing a seminar at the Indian International Centre where former chief justices, ex-diplomats and lawyers were part of the panel, said that the original manuscript of the Indian Constitution has pictures of Hindu gods and gurus like Ram, Krishna and Vivekananda.
He said if the Constitution were to be drafted today, one wondered if those pictures would have been allowed on its pages.
“Where has this country gone? We will have to reflect. I am only trying to provoke a debate,” Prasad was quoted as saying.
“Today is the birthday of Swami Vivekananda. I would request all of them sitting here to have a look at the original constitution. When the constitution was being conceived, a debate arose if it should be plain or there should be more in it to show the world that India has arrived and Nandlal Bose was commissioned by drafting committee members Nehru, Mauilana Azad and Ambedkar to beautify and decorate it,” he added.
He further explained how the pages of the original manuscript features pictures of Indian gods and gurus and that such a page won’t get approval if the constitution was drafted today.
“Atop the page on fundamental rights we have a visual of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana returning to Ayodhya after the victory in Lanka, the page on directive principles of state policy had another of Krishna propounding the Gita to Arjuna at the Kurukshetra. There are also scenes from the courts of Ashoka and Vikramaditya,” Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
“This question troubles me Sir and I am asking if the constitution was framed today and the constituent assembly resolves that we will have such pictures what will happen? We will have to reflect where we have come along. India is a democracy not because democracy is a form mentioned in the constitution but because the cultural and civilization heritage also sanctioned democracy,” he added.
On the issue of justice delivery getting affected due to shortage of judges, Prasad said that concerns regarding appointments and infrastructure would be addressed expeditiously.
