Constitution is in the exclusive domain of the Parliament & Parliament alone is the architect of the Constitution – Vice President

The Vice President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar today emphasised that ‘Parliament is the soul of democracy’ & the Constitution is in the exclusive domain of the Parliament. He said that the message of the Constituent Assembly was loud and clear that “the Parliament alone is the architect of the Constitution.” Calling for respecting institutional boundaries, VP highlighted that “Parliament can’t script a judgement on the supreme court & similarly Supreme Court can’t script law for us; that’s our domain.”

Addressing the Constitution Day celebrations organised by the Ministry of Law & Justice in New Delhi today, the Vice-President stated that sovereignty of the Parliament is synonymous with sovereignty of the nation and the same is impregnable.

Describing any incursion in the exclusive domain of Parliament as Constitutional aberration, and antithetical to democratic values, VP observed that democracy is optimally nurtured when all state organs the Executives, the Judiciary and the Legislature work in harmony, tandem and togetherness.

Calling for a collaborative discourse rather than confrontational perception among the Executive, Judiciary & Legislature, Shri Dhankhar said that differences between these institutions must be resolved through sublime statesmanship, not by public posturing or generating perception as a strategy.

Calling for a structured mechanism for interaction between the people helming these institutions, VP said that “any aberration coming in public domain by observation or otherwise will not be soothing to our ears which means soothing to the people at large.”

VP further remarked that “constitutional provisions providing for interpretation of law and constitution is a small slit and it can’t become floodgate. We have to be extremely worry about it.”

Describing himself as a foot soldier of judiciary, Shri Dhankhar said that “judicial independence, like to millions of people in the country, is very dear to me. We want spinally strong Judiciary and I can say without the fear of contradiction that our Judiciary is one of the best in the world.” He also appreciated the initiatives by the E-Committee of the Supreme Court that leveraged technology making the system more people-centric, prioritizing transparency, efficiency, and enhanced access to justice for all.

Referring to the proclamation of emergency as the ‘darkest period’ in the history of post-independence India, the Vice-President described it as “outrageous trampling of constitutional essence and spirit” and ‘sacrilege of the constitution.”

In his address, the Vice-President described the constitution as ‘spine to our democracy’. He emphasized that ‘Constitution Day’ serves as a moment to remember founding fathers with a sense of gratitude and reverence and called for ‘reaffirming our allegiance to the constitutional core values’.

Underscoring the importance of women empowerment for inclusive and sustainable development, the Vice-President commended the recent passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill that will provide one-third reservation to women in Parliament and State Legislatures.

In closing, the Vice President also urged Parliamentarians to weaponise debate, dialogue, discussion, and deliberation, not disruptions or disturbances, in the temples of democracy.

Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, Union Minister of State, Ministry of Law and Justice, Justice Arun Kumar Mishra, Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission of India, Justice Indira Banerjee, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India, Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Chairperson, Law Commission of India, Shri Tushar Mehta, R. Venkataramani Attorney-General for India, and other dignitaries attended the event.

Following are the excerpts from the Vice-President’s address – https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1980019

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MS/JK