New Delhi [India], August 21 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nishikant Dubey attacked the Congress on Thursday for bringing in the 1976 42nd Constitutional amendment which he said 'completely destroyed Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution' by making the President a 'rubber stamp', reduced the powers of the courts, and including the words 'socialist', 'secular', and 'integrity' in the preamble.

Amid Opposition protesting against the recently proposed Constitutional amendments, which introduce a legal framework for the removal of the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers and ministers if held in custody over 30 days for serious criminal charges, BJP's Nishikant Dubey brought attention to the 1976 constitutional amendment, which was passed during the Emergency.

'Can a Prime Minister, Chief Minister, or Minister run the government even after going to jail? The opposition, along with INC India, is playing a new game. In 1976, Indira Gandhi's 42nd Constitution Amendment Bill completely destroyed Baba Saheb Ambedkar's entire Constitution,' the BJP leader claimed in a post on X in Hindi.

https://x.com/nishikant_dubey/status/1958345311929221402

'The President became a rubber stamp for the Prime Minister, the Supreme Court was rendered powerless, the rights of Parliament and its members over foreign policy, defence policy, and national security were eliminated, and the rights of the poor over land and housing were abolished,' Dubey added.

Dubey has earlier, on July 29, criticised the Congress party for allowing hte inclusion of 'socialist' and 'secular' in the preamble.

The three recent bills, Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill seek to amend Articles 75, 164, and 239AA, introducing a legal mechanism that mandates the removal of ministers in custody for offences punishable by five years or more. As per the provisions, the President will remove the Prime Minister, the Governor will remove Chief Ministers, and the Lieutenant-Governor will remove Chief Ministers of Union Territories.

If no resignation or advice for removal is tendered by the 31st day, the office will automatically fall vacant on the 32nd day. Reappointment is permitted upon release from custody.

The Congress, has in turn strongly objected to the bills, with party leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir calling it a ploy by the BJP to target and eliminate opposition parties.

Mir told ANI, 'If any minister has a case against them and gets arrested and remains in custody for 30 days, then their position is certain to be lost. The BJP is bringing this law so that it can target its opposition. In a way, it can be seen that they are bringing this bill to eliminate the opposition party'. (ANI)