New Delhi: Sitting Faizabad MP Lallu Singh – who is contesting again from the seat – has become the third Bharatiya Janata Party leader in the last two months to say that the party wants two win a two-thirds majority in the 2024 polls so that it can amend the Constitution.
Singh reportedly made these remarks at a public meeting in Milkipur assembly constituency on April 13, and the comments have now gone viral on social media. In a video of the event, Singh can be heard saying that while a party can form government by winning 272 Lok Sabha seats, “a government formed with 272 seats cannot amend the Constitution”.
“For that, or even if a new Constitution is to be made, there is a need of over two-thirds majority,” he continues.
Illustration: Pariplab Chakraborty
The Faizabad Lok Sabha constituency includes the Ayodhya assembly constituency. Before becoming MP, he was the Ayodhya MLA for five terms.
Opposition leaders, who have hit out at the BJP previously too when Anantkumar Hegde and Jyoti Mirdha spoke of amending the Constitution, once again said that the Narendra Modi-led party was reaffirming its plan to reduce the rights Indians – especially the marginalised – enjoy.
“BJP wants to finish the reservation given to the backwards, Dalits, minorities after making a new Constitution, which is why PDA will together defeat the BJP. The BJP wants to win, not to serve the public or for its welfare but so that it can change the Constitution made by Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar,” Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said on X.
PDA भाजपा को मिलकर हराएगा क्योंकि भाजपा पिछड़ों, दलितों, अल्पसंख्यकों को मिले आरक्षण को, नया संविधान बनाकर ख़त्म करना चाहती है। भाजपा जनता की सेवा या कल्याण के लिए नहीं बल्कि बाबा साहेब भीमराव अम्बेडकर जी द्वारा बनाए संविधान को बदलने के लिए जीतना चाहती है। सदियों से 4-5%… pic.twitter.com/bvFf1AioXX
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) April 14, 2024
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In Rajasthan, The Telegraph reports, Modi’s frequent claim that the BJP will win 400+ seats has caused fear among Dalits and Adivasis, that his party will amend the Constitution to withdraw reservation benefits. Mirdha is contesting from the Nagaur seat in Rajasthan.
Singh later tried to retract his statement, calling it a “slip of the tongue” – but stood by the plan for “constitutional amendments”. “I have been an RSS worker and have a habit of talking like this about the welfare of the country. I was simply saying that to make our country great, we have to ensure that PM Modi comes to power again and that we may need to make constitutional amendments for which we have to ensure that we get over two-thirds majority,” he said, according to The Print.
