Constitutional Debates Intensify Over Article 356 and 370

In the Lok Sabha debate on the Indian Constitution's 75-year journey, allegations flew about past and present governmental misuse of constitutional articles to manipulate state governance. Discussions centered on Article 356's historical application by Congress and Article 370's recent abrogation by BJP, amid broader concerns about constitutional integrity.

The Lok Sabha witnessed intense debates as Panchayati Raj Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh accused previous Congress governments of leveraging Article 356 to topple opposition state governments. Singh criticized the Congress for now posing as protectors of the Constitution despite their historical misuse of it.

Further stirring the discourse, BJP's Bahrtruhari Mahtab attributed ongoing strife in Kashmir to Nehru's past decisions and commended Narendra Modi's abrogation of Article 370. Meanwhile, CPI-M's R Sachithanantham expressed concerns about the erosion of constitutional institutions under the current administration.

Shiv Sena's Arvind Sawant lamented the perceived lack of judicial independence, while Samajwadi Party's Awadhesh Prasad vowed to resist constitutional changes. The discussions underlined the politically charged atmosphere surrounding constitutional protections in India.

(With inputs from agencies.)