“Assault Of The Constitution, We Reject It”: Congress On 'One Nation, One Election' Idea

Congress called the centre”s efforts to bring in “One Nation, One Election” across the country, as the government has set up a committee to look into it, “an assault on the Constitution”. Addressing a press conference on the sidelines of the Congress Working Committee meeting in Hyderabad, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said the party reject the idea by the central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“It is an attack on federalism. It will require at least five Constitutional amendments. The BJP knows it does not have the numbers to pass these Constitutional amendments. Yet, they put forward a mirage of One Nation, One Election. It is only to divert attention from the pressing issues and to create a false narratives,” Mr Chidambaram said.

Talking about the Election Commissioners” Bill to be tabled in the Parliament next meet, Mr Chidambaram commented the bill will undermine the powers of Election Commission of India.

He stated that, as the party president said, Congress party does not want to be drawn into any controversy on the Sanatana Dharma debate and added that DMK has explained that the comments were made about the caste and caste hierarchy — suppression of women… oppression of Dalits –, and were not about any religion.

Mr Chidambaram called the India vs Bharat row “fake controversies” and said the Constitution makers are far more intelligent and wise than anyone of us living today.