Fully endorse CJI's affirmation on constitution allegiance: Sinha

BENGALURU: Opposition's Presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha, who arrived in Bengaluru on Sunday as part of his poll campaign, said that he was very happy to see in the newspapers a statement by Chief Justice of India, N.V. Ramana, that the "Judiciary is answerable to the Constitution and Constitution alone."

Addressing media persons here, he said, "I fully endorse this view and congratulate CJI Ramana for this forthright affirmation. Indeed, I have been saying, since I filed my nomination papers on June 27, that the sole purpose behind my acceptance of the combined Opposition's offer to be their candidate is to safeguard the Constitution and its lofty values, which are today under unprecedented threat."

In the past eight years, the ruling dispensation at the Centre has launched repeated assaults on democracy and secularism, which form the founding principles of our Republic, he stated.

"It has unleashed a poisonous communal propaganda to divide India's multi-religious society. Day before yesterday, the Supreme Court made a stinging indictment of Nupur Sharma's remarks on Prophet Mohammad, saying 'Your loose tongue set nation on fire.' Regrettably, BJP supporters are trolling the Honourable Supreme Court for condemning her remarks," Yashwant Sinha said.

"The central government has weaponised ED, CBI, Election Commission and even the Governor's office against Opposition parties, their leaders and their governments. In Maharashtra, it toppled the coalition government of the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress by facilitating the kidnapping of Shiv Sena MLAs to Gujarat and Assam, both being BJP-ruled states. The Centre has no respect for the Federal Structure of the Constitution. It is constantly encroaching upon the powers of states," he explained.

"In Karnataka, the government has been attempting to communalise the minds of the young generation by introducing a new school curriculum coloured by the ruling party's ideological agenda. I condemn this," he said.

"I have great personal regard for the presidential candidate of the ruling party. However, in the prevailing grim circumstances in the country, I urge her to assure the people of India on the following concerns that are uppermost in their minds," he maintained.

"I hereby pledge that, if elected, I shall be answerable to the Constitution, and to the Constitution alone. I shall exercise my authority conscientiously, without fear or favour, whenever the executive or other institutions break the Constitutional checks and balances. Please make a similar pledge," he urged.

"I am very happy to be in Karnataka on the fifth day of my campaign. My sincere thanks to Mallikarjun Kharge, Siddaramaiah, D.K. Shivakumar and all other leaders of the Congress for the opportunity to meet with the MPs and MLAs of the party in Bengaluru. I also thank them for supporting my candidature in the Presidential election campaign 2022," he stated.

He maintained that he has a great admiration for Karnataka because of its rich spiritual, cultural and intellectual heritage, and its valuable contribution to India's freedom struggle.

This is the land of Jagadguru Basaveshwara, who started a mission for a casteless society and also founded a Democratic Parliament in the 12th Century, he said.

"Karnataka has given India great saint-poets like Kanaka Dasa who advocated equality of all human beings irrespective of their caste and creed. In modern times, it has produced a galaxy of towering personalities in literature, arts and cinema such as poet Kuvempu and Dr Rajkumar. Bengaluru today rivals Silicon Valley in software and other knowledge-based enterprises," he said.