Cong amended Constitution to help family, dynasty: Nirmala Sitharaman

New Delhi, Dec 16: In a no-holds-barred attack on the Congress in the Rajya Sabha, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday accused the grand old party of carrying out major amendments to the Constitution "brazenly to help the family and the dynasty".

She also alleged that it was "anti-woman" for failing to get the women's reservation bill passed when it was in power. Initiating the discussion on the 'Glorious Journey of 75 Years of the Constitution of India' in the Rajya Sabha, the senior BJP leader said the economic policies of the previous Congress governments for about 50 years did not strengthen India's economy and restricted growth. She noted that the living document -- the Constitution -- has faced many amendments in the last seven decades.

In her nearly 80-minute speech, she mentioned various amendments to the Constitution during the era of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, which were aimed at strengthening the "family" and failed on the other tests of economic and social good besides constitutional spirit and processes.

She also highlighted the Constitutional amendments and changes to the Preamble during the Emergency and denial of alimony to Muslim women in the wake of Shah Bano judgement.

"Each time the Congress brazenly (amended Constitution), only to help the family. The dynasty kept amending the Constitution, and this is how far they went even if it affects any particular woman who desperately needed the benefit," she alleged while referring to the Shah Bano case.

"The alteration of the Preamble to include 'Socialist and Secular' highlights the disrespect and disregard the Congress has for constitutional processes, principles and institutions. The amendments were not about strengthening democracy, but for protecting those in power...again, the process is used for strengthening the family," she alleged while referring to the Congress first family.

She also claimed that Nehru brought in the first amendment in the Constitution in 1951, even when there was no elected government and issues like freedom of speech and expression triggered it.

She added that even while Nehru publicly praised the freedom of the press, he deplored press scrutiny of his government.