The Constitution isn’t secular anymore: Maya targets BJP, opposition

“The opposition and the ruling party have made so many amendments to the Constitution that it no longer holds the values of BR Ambedkar. The constitution is no longer secular,” she said.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) national president and former chief minister Mayawati on Tuesday came down heavily on the ruling party and the opposition and claimed that both of them, through amendments, made the Constitution ‘jatiwad, sampradayik, aur poonjiwad (casteist, communal and capitalist).’

The Constitution isn’t secular anymore: Maya targets BJP, opposition (File)

“The opposition and the ruling party have made so many amendments to the Constitution that it no longer holds the values of BR Ambedkar. The constitution is no longer secular,” she said.

Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, Mayawati said the ruling, as well as, the opposition parties are two sides of the same coin adding that both the BJP and the Congress divert public attention from pressing issues like unemployment and poverty.

“There is no doubt that the government and the opposition inside the Parliament and outside by showing the copies of the Constitution are two sides of the same coin. Even their mindset seems the same,” she said.

“Both BJP and the Congress, in the states where they are ruling, have failed to address poverty, inflation. To distract people, they are doing the drama of saving the Constitution. For their own political benefit, they are playing with the Constitution, and this is not right,” she said.

Talking about the caste census, Mayawati said that the opposition is not serious on the issue. “The opposition talks about caste census but it is not serious about it. None of them want to conduct the caste census. They are only indulged in vote politics,” she said.

A day before, opposition leaders, including Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, staged a protest in Parliament premises holding copies of the Constitution in their hands.