Furore in Rajya Sabha over ‘altered’ Constitution; Kharge calls out BJP lies

The Rajya Sabha erupted in protests on Tuesday, 11 February, over ‘new editions’ of the Constitution of India which are apparently missing 22 illustrations from the original version — a version veteran political leaders claim has never existed.

The Opposition accused the BJP of attempting to tamper with the country’s foundational document, leading to a heated exchange and a walkout by Congress MPs.

During Zero Hour, it was BJP MP Radha Mohan Das Agrawal who raised the issue, alleging that several illustrations — including one of Ram and Sita — that were (he claimed) found in the original Constitution of India had been dropped from the copies published and sold later.

He demanded that the current editions of the Constitution of India must include illustrations of Lord Ram, Lord Krishna, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and King Vikramaditya, among others.

“I am categorical that the Constitution signed by the founding fathers, carrying 22 miniatures, is the only authentic one — and it can include amendments by Parliament,” he said.

However, Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge dismissed the claim, stating that he had studied the Constitution extensively and had never come across the illustrations that the BJP MP was referring to. He accused the ruling party of misrepresenting the Constitution, calling it an insult to Dr B.R. Ambedkar, the chief architect of the document.

“The BJP is trying to distort history and mislead the people. This is nothing but an insult to Babasaheb Ambedkar,” Kharge said.

Opposition accuses BJP of “constitutional conspiracy”

Following the heated exchange, Congress MPs staged a walkout in protest while Kharge shared a post on the matter on X.

Outside Parliament, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari then went on to accuse the government of deliberately altering the Constitution in the copies distributed to MPs — and other INDIA bloc MPs backed him up.

“The government has conspired to change the Constitution. They have insulted Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar. The INDIA bloc has decided that we will not allow this government to undermine the Constitution. That is why we staged a walkout,” Tiwari said.

NCP (SP) MP Fauzia Khan also condemned the alleged tampering by the Centre, stating that the BJP was exploiting the Constitution for political gains while simultaneously eroding democratic principles.

“The BJP’s double standards are exposed. On the one hand, they disrespect the Constitution at every turn, and on the other, they pose as its protectors. This is a conspiracy — our electoral process is being manipulated, the voter list is being tampered with, and now they are altering the Constitution. The INDIA bloc will resist any attempt to distort the legacy of Ambedkar,” she declared.

Kharge went on to speak on X of the 22 illustrations for the Constitution that Mahatma Gandhi had commissioned from famed Bengal artist Nandalal Bose and the calligraphy added by Prem Behari Narain Raizada (who sought for his remuneration nothing but the right to sign each page he worked on), showcasing his familiarity with the history of that very first, original edition of India’s paramount document.

Kharge, in his note, also admonished those — such as the BJP — who would seek to misuse this most august document and cited Ambedkar himself on the matter, saying:

‘The Constitution was made by ‘We, The People’. For the convenience of the general public, those who have printed copies of the Constitution have given importance to its values ​​instead of calligraphy and illustrations. This is what the creators of the Constitution, our great ancestors also wanted...

‘Babasaheb had even said: “If I find the Constitution being misused, I shall be the first to burn it” — meaning he considered the values ​​of the Constitution more important.]

The Modi government, in contrast, Kharge said, had used the last decade and a half to destroy every value in the Constitution.