BJP's Distancing Act After MP's "Will Change Constitution" Remark

The BJP stamped out any speculation about a tweak in Constitution and distanced itself from its MP Ananth Kumar Hegde's remarks about a change in the founding document if the party comes back to power with two-thirds majority.

"MP Ananth Kumar Hegde's remarks on the Constitution are his personal views and do not reflect the party's stance. @BJP4India reaffirms our unwavering commitment to uphold the nation's Constitution and will ask for an explanation from Hegde regarding his comments," the BJP posted on X just hours after its MP made the comments.

MP Shri Ananth Kumar Hegde's remarks on the Constitution are his personal views and do not reflect the party's stance. @BJP4India reaffirms our unwavering commitment to uphold the nation's Constitution and will ask for an explanation from Shri Hegde regarding his comments.

— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) March 10, 2024

The BJP needs a two-thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament to amend the Constitution and "set right distortions and unnecessary additions made to it by the Congress", Mr Hedge had said earlier today.

"If the Constitution has to be amended - the Congress fundamentally distorted the Constitution by forcefully filling unnecessary things in it, especially by bringing in laws that were aimed at suppressing the Hindu society - if all of this has to be changed, it is not possible with this (current) majority.

"If we think it can be done as Congress is not there in Lok Sabha and PM Modi has a two-thirds majority in Lok Sabha, and keep quiet, it is not possible," he was quoted saying by news agency PTI.

Mr Hegde, the six-time Lok Sabha MP from Karnataka, further said that the party would also need to win more than 20 states for this.

The MP also cited the case of Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which he said was passed in the Lok Sabha and later in Rajya Sabha "with effort". But several state governments did not approve it, and hence it could not be implemented, he pointed out.

Reacting to Mr Hegde's statement, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said this shows that BJP is anti-Constitution.

"Let him do it, amend the Constitution...this shows that the BJP government (at the Centre) and BJP MP are against the Constitution given by Babasaheb Ambedkar. Let him get it stamped by the Prime Minister," Mr Shivakumar told PTI.

However, this is not the first time that Mr Hegde has made such comments.

In 2017, Mr Hegde, the then Union Minister of State for Skill Development, courted controversy for his comments about changing the Constitution.

He subsequently apologised in the Lok Sabha but maintained his statement was distorted.

(With PTI inputs)