The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday tried to end the controversy arising out of party MP Ananth Kumar Hegde’s remarks on amendment in the Constitution, saying it was his personal view and sought clarification from him.
With the opposition targeting the ruling party over the Karnataka MP’s remarks, party spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said that the BJP has always worked in accordance with the constitutional ethos and national interest.
“MP Ananth Kumar Hegde’s comments on the Constitution are his personal views and do not reflect the party’s stand,” BJP’s Karnataka unit posted on social media platform ‘X’. BJP reiterates its unwavering commitment to uphold the Constitution of the country and will seek clarification from Hegde regarding his remarks.
Following BJP MP Hegde’s statement, Congress alleged that “rewriting and destroying” the Constitution is the agenda of BJP and RSS.
Hegde said the BJP would need a two-thirds majority in both houses of Parliament, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, to amend the Constitution and “remove unnecessary things added by the Congress”.
Hegde, a six-time Lok Sabha member from Karnataka, said, “If the Constitution has to be amended, the Congress has fundamentally amended the Constitution by forcing unnecessary things into it, especially by bringing in laws that were aimed at suppressing Hindu society.” It has been distorted – if all this has to be changed, it is not possible with this (current) majority.”
Reacting to Hegde’s statement today, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress president DK Shivakumar said it shows that the BJP is “anti-constitutional”.
He told reporters, “Let them do it, amend the Constitution… This shows that the BJP government (at the Centre) and the BJP MPs are against the Constitution given by (Constitution maker) Babasaheb Ambedkar.”