BJP Enhanced Constitution, Amended It for Social Equity: UP Minister Asim Arun

BJP's Asim Arun accuses Congress of attempting to alter the Constitution's fundamental structure under Indira Gandhi, alleging it could end reservations for SCs, STs, and OBCs. Arun claims Congress's "return Article 370" pledge would eliminate Kashmir's SC/ST reservations. He asserts that the BJP supports the Constitution's basic structure and has amended it for social justice, unlike Congress.

The BJP strengthened the Constitution and amended it for social justice during its terms at the Centre unlike the Congress, which made a ''malicious attempt'' to change the basic structure of the Constitution when Indira Gandhi was the prime minister, Uttar Pradesh Minister Asim Arun said on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference here, Arun, who is the social welfare minister in the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh, said that nobody has the right to change the basic structure of the Constitution and asserted that the BJP is ready to keep it intact.

''The Congress has said that it will bring back Article 370, which means the reservation provided to SCs and STs in Kashmir will also be rolled back,'' he told reporters at the BJP headquarters.

The BJP leader said the Congress will not get any such opportunity as people of the country have understood its ''game''.

Arun's remarks came at a time when the Congress and other constituents of the INDIA bloc have gone on an offensive against the ruling BJP alleging that the party is seeking 400 plus seats in the Lok Sabha polls because it wants to change the Constitution and end the provisions made to provide reservation to SCs, STs and OBCs in the country.

''Amendments were made during the BJP rule to strengthen the Constitution, carry forward the fight for social justice and the ideas of BR Ambedkar,'' Arun said.

''On the contrary, the most malicious attempt to change the Constitution, not amend, was made by late prime minister Indira Gandhi when she was facing the prospect of losing the prime minister's seat following a high court's verdict,'' he added.

Arun said that the amendment brought by the erstwhile Indira Gandhi government had provided that the judiciary including the Supreme Court will now have jurisdiction to hear petitions challenging the election of the president, vice president, prime minister and speaker ''it was the most malicious attempt, among others on various occasions, to change the basic structure of the Constitution. I salute the power of the judiciary which struck down this amendment. Later, Emergency was imposed and other things were done to save her (Indira Gandhi),'' the BJP leader added.