New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that he has always stayed within the limits prescribed for him under the Constitution and did not make any attempt for encroachment.
Addressing the Constitution Day celebrations at the Supreme Court, PM Modi emphasised his “nation first” vision and quoted Dr Rajendra Prasad, who had said that the country does not need anything more than a group of honest individuals, who prioritise the nation’s interest over self-interest.
“I have tried to live within the limits of the work given to me by the Constitution. I did not try any encroachment. I have expressed my views keeping in mind the dignity of the work given by the Constitution,” PM Modi said.
“Here only a hint has to be made, there is no need to say anything more,” added the PM in a lighter vein.
In his address, the Prime Minister said that the government at the Centre has strengthened the spirit of the Constitution over the last 10 years.
He highlighted that in the last 10 years, more than 53 crore bank accounts were opened, more than 4 crore pukka houses were given and more than 10 crore free gas connections were given.
“In the last 5-6 years, by providing tap water facilities in more than 12 crore houses, the government made the lives of citizens easy, particularly of women,” PM Modi said.
The PM added that the NDA-led government took a series of steps to bring social and economic equality in terms of the goals envisaged in the Constitution.
To fasten the delivery of justice, new penal statutes (Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA)) were introduced, he said.
The PM also highlighted the introduction of the historic Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, mandating a 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and all state Assemblies, including Delhi.
Further, he mentioned the Union government’s public health insurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), providing health coverage of Rs 5 lakh to poor and vulnerable families.
PM Modi said that the Constitution is a guide to our present as well as future and in the last 75 years, it has always shown the right path, including in the time when the Emergency was imposed.
“Our Constitution has met every need and expectation of the country,” he said, adding that the powers provided under the Constitution only paved the way for complete implementation of its provisions in Jammu & Kashmir.
The Prime Minister said that our founding fathers and mothers knew that India’s dreams would reach new heights with time and that the needs of its citizens would change with time.
“That’s why they did not leave the Constitution as just a law book but made it a continuous flowing stream,” the PM said.
Quoting Dr BR Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Indian Constitution, PM Modi said: “The Constitution is not merely a lawyer’s document, it is a vehicle of life, and its spirit is always the spirit of age.”
In the beginning of his address, the Prime Minister also recalled the 26/11 terrorist attacks and reiterated that every terrorist organisation challenging India’s security will be dealt with a befitting reply.
PM Modi said, “We cannot forget that it is the anniversary of the 26/11 terrorist attacks in Mumbai” and paid his respects to the people who lost lives in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
“I reiterate the resolve of the country that every terrorist organisation challenging India’s security will be dealt with a befitting reply,” he said.
The Prime Minister said that the 75th Constitution Day is a subject matter of “immense pride” for the nation and he bows down to the Constitution and all members of the Constituent Assembly.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi greeted the nation on the occasion of Constitution Day and the 75th anniversary of the Constitution.
In a post on X, he wrote: “Best wishes to all the countrymen on Constitution Day on the auspicious occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Indian Constitution. #75YearsOfConstitution”
Constitution Day of India, also known as Samvidhan Divas, is celebrated on November 26 every year to celebrate the adoption of the Indian Constitution. On this day in 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India formally adopted the Constitution, which later came into effect on January 26, 1950.
Constitution Day was officially recognised in 2015 by the Union government, with the aim to spread awareness about the Constitution’s importance, promote constitutional values among citizens and encourage them to reflect on the values of democracy, justice, equality, and liberty that it upholds.
(IANS)
