NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that he has tried to work within the limits of the task assigned to him under the Constitution, and not attempted to indulge in any encroachment upon the other wings of governance.
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He emphasised India was going through an important phase of change, said that the Constitution was showing the country the right path as a guiding light.
Modi also highlighted that the Constitution had even encountered the dangerous times of Emergency faced by Indian democracy.
He was speaking at an event organised at the Supreme Court to commemorate 75 years of India's Constitution.
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"I have tried to work within the limits of the task assigned to me by the Constitution. I have not attempted any encroachment,” he said, while concluding his speech.
"I have put forward my point while being within my limits. Here, one has to indicate and there is no need to say much," he added.
He said when the country was celebrating the Constitution Day, it cannot be forgotten that today was the anniversary of Mumbai Terror attacks as well. He paid tribute to the victims of the terror attack. Modi made it categorical that India will give a befitting reply to every terror organization which threatens the security and integrity of India.
Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Supreme Court Bar Association of India president Kapil Sibal, among others attended the programme.
The PM said that the makers of the Constitution were well aware that the dreams and aspirations of India.
“Our Constitution is a guide to our present and our future,” he said, adding that the Constitution had shown the right path to tackle the various challenges that have cropped up in the last 75 years of its existence.
Modi also pointed out that the original copy of the Indian Constitution had pictures of Lord Ram, Goddess Sita, Lord Hanuman, Bhagwan Buddha, Bhagwan Mahavira and Guru Govind Singh as symbols of Indian culture to ensure that it constantly keeps us aware and mindful of human values.
Recalling the elaborate debates and discussions of the Constituent Assembly regarding the Constitution of India, Modi quoted Babasaheb Ambedkar and said: “Constitution is not a mere Lawyer’s document, it is a spirit, it's always the spirit of age”.
Maintaining that this spirit was imperative, Modi said the framers of the Constitution had provided us with the liberty to interpret the Constitution from time to time by taking appropriate decisions according to the country, time and situation. He added that the makers of the Constitution were well aware that the dreams and aspirations of India will scale new heights with time and the needs of the people of Independent India will also evolve along with the challenges. Therefore, he said, the constitution makers did not make the Constitution as a mere document, but a living, continuously flowing stream.
Modi also said in the past decade, four crore people were ensured of pucca houses, 10 crore gas cylinder connections were given to women of the household.
He underscored that there were only 3 crore houses in India which had household tap connections even after 75 years of Independence. He added that he was pleased that his Government had given more than 12 crore household tap water connections in the last 5-6 years which had eased the living of citizens and women in particular. He added that this has strengthened the spirit of the Constitution.