
Constitution as sacred as Gita, Guru Granth Sahib and Bible: Minister SP Singh Baghel
Kurukshetra: Union minister of state (MoS) for fisheries, animal husbandry & dairying and panchayati raj, SP Singh Baghel, on Wednesday described the Indian Constitution as a sacred text on a par with the sacred Bhagavad Gita, Guru Granth Sahib, and the Bible, emphasising that it must be respected and honoured as the foundation of India's democracy.
Notably, the minister did not make any mention of Quran in his address.
He was speaking at a programme organised on the occasion of Samvidhan Hatya Diwas 2025 (Constitution Murder Day 2025) at the Panchayat Bhawan auditorium in Kurukshetra.
Addressing the gathering as the chief guest, Baghel said amendments in the Constitution are acceptable if made in the national interest, but any changes made for personal or political gain amount to the murder of the Constitution. He asserted that the
BJP
is committed to protecting the Constitution and upholding democratic values.
Prior to his address, the minister visited an exhibition organised to depict the events surrounding the Emergency imposed in 1975, a period he said was widely viewed as a dark chapter in Indian democracy. During the event, individuals who were jailed during the Emergency and their families were honoured with shawls in recognition of their sacrifices.
Baghel highlighted the symbolic importance of Kurukshetra, calling it the land where the eternal struggle between dharma and adharma, and justice and injustice, was first understood.
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He said this message, rooted in Indian civilisation, has resonated globally. "In every age, injustice has ultimately failed. This lesson must not be forgotten, especially by those who attempt to undermine the Constitution," he remarked.
He also underscored India's democratic heritage, stating, "Our democracy dates to the Dwapar and Treta Yugas. In contrast, the US only has the Statue of Liberty to symbolise its democratic ideals, yet it claims to be the oldest democracy.
Today, India's citizens challenge that claim with pride, as India remains the world's oldest and largest democracy."
The minister took the opportunity to highlight India's progress on gender inclusion in leadership, stating, "India has had two women Presidents, while the US is yet to elect a woman President."
Criticising the 1975 Emergency, Baghel called it the only dark blot on Indian democracy. "It was a time when civil liberties were crushed.
Citizens went into hiding, businesses were shuttered, farmers could not tend to their fields, and anyone seen outside risked being jailed. Around 1.1 lakh people, including journalists, were imprisoned. Electricity supply was cut off, and mass sterilisations were conducted.
None of the conditions required to declare an emergency — external threat, internal disturbance, or financial crisis — existed at the time," he said.
He noted that after the BJP came to power, efforts were made to honour and recognise those who endured suffering during the Emergency, restoring their dignity in the nation's democratic narrative. The event was attended by several BJP leaders from Kurukshetra.
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