Uproar in Rajya Sabha over 22 ‘missing’ illustrations from newer copies of Constitution, V-P Dhankhar seeks govt action

“If a national oregon a pupil goes to bargain a transcript of the Constitution helium is incapable to get the archetypal mentation signed by the makers of our Constitution. I americium not alert for what crushed and erstwhile this happened, but cardinal portions of that mentation of the Constitution were omitted unconstitutionally, we each cognize that law amendments person to travel a procedure, including removal of afloat halt and commas,” helium said.

Soon, an uproar ensued from the Opposition benches astatine Agrawal’s veiled attack. Dhankhar intervened and said that the authorities indispensable enactment connected the issue.

“I person nary uncertainty and I americium categorical, the Constitution signed by the founding fathers of the Constitution, carrying 22 miniatures is the lone authentic 1 and it tin see amendments by the Parliament. If determination is immoderate alteration effected by judiciary oregon immoderate instauration is not acceptable to this House,” Dhankhar said.

He added, “I entreaty to the Leader of the House to guarantee that successful the state lone the authentic mentation of the Indian Constitution should beryllium promulgated, immoderate usurpation should beryllium taken earnestly by the authorities and superior enactment taken.”

Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge termed the contented “unnecessary” and said it was an effort to make a contention and to defame Dr B R Ambedkar. To this, Leader of the House Jagat Prakash Nadda said that an important contented was raised.

Nadda was fixed a weighty transcript of the archetypal mentation and, showing it to the House, helium said, “These illustrations are not printed and published successful today’s copies. The authorities volition guarantee that the Constitution is published with the afloat emotions it was intended to beryllium done.” He besides requested the president to expunge Kharge’s remarks regarding the defamation of Ambedkar.

As the House stood divided implicit the intervention, Derek O’Brien of the All India Trinamool Congress pointed retired to Dhankhar that the integer copies provided astatine the seat of the members did not incorporate the said illustrations. “On my machine here, I person 404 pages of the Constitution, past this 1 indispensable besides beryllium illegal, due to the fact that determination are nary illustrations successful this,” helium said.

To this, Dhankhar said, “A precise valid contented has travel to the attraction of the Council of States. Dr Radha Mohan Das Agrawal has rightly pointed retired the enactment of omission oregon commission, either connected our iPads oregon immoderate book, without carrying the 22 miniatures…and signed by our founding fathers.”

Kharge besides sought to cognize whether the copies provided by the House to the Members of Parliament included those illustrations. However, Congress MPs walked retired soon after.

Lamenting the walkout of Kharge and his colleagues, Dhankhar said, “I americium puzzled and surprised, the Leader of Opposition has walked out, I bash not find immoderate rational ground. It is, according to me, a nonstop insult to B R Ambedkar, however tin anyone contemplate coming successful the mode of dissemination of that Constitution, of which the designer is B R Ambedkar…”

Kharge aboriginal posted connected the societal media level X that the 22 illustrations were made by Nandlal Bose connected Mahatma Gandhi’s request. He accused the Narendra Modi-led authorities of decimating the ideals of the Constitution successful the past 10 years and added that this was wherefore the radical kept the enactment from achieving “400 paar” successful the Lok Sabha elections.

संविधान में जो 22 Illustrations हैं, वो महात्मा गाँधी जी के कहने पर मशहूर चित्रकार नंदलाल बोस जी ने बनाए थे।

चित्रों के साथ अद्भुत Calligraphy का काम प्रेम बिहारी नारायण रायज़ादा जी द्वारा किया गया था, जिन्होंने भुगतान के बदले में नेहरू से पूछा कि क्या वह पांडुलिपि में उनके नाम…

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) February 11, 2025

“Those who person printed the constitution for the convenience of the communal radical person focussed connected the values of the constitution, alternatively of the calligraphy and illustrations. That is what was besides desired by our forefathers, the makers of the constitution, and it has been going connected for decades,” Kharge posted connected X.