CAA against ‘idea of India’: Shashi Tharoor


PTI, Mar 5, 2020, 10:18 AM IST

New Delhi: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday, March 4 said the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was against the “the idea of India” and the framers of the Constitution explicitly rejected any idea of citizenship on the basis of religion.

Tharoor, speaking at the inaugural Dr. N R Madhava Menon Memorial Lecture by O P Jindal Global University on the theme ‘Law and The Idea of India’, said India is a “land of belonging” rather than of blood and what binds the idea of India is the rule of law contained in the Constitution.

Menon was an educationist, scholar, and the pioneering spirit behind modern legal education in India.

Menon was the founder-director of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) Bangalore and headed it for 12 years. After that, he established West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS) in 1998 and later presided as the founder-director of Judicial Academy (NJS), Bhopal, till 2006.

Quoting B R Ambedkar, Tharoor said, “The Constitution makers explicitly rejected any idea of citizenship on the basis of religion. It is for the Supreme Court to decide on the constitutionality of the law (CAA), but it goes against the very spirit, the idea of India.”

Referring to former President Pranab Mukherjee’s statement that the Indian Penal Code is full of inequities that need to be changed, Tharoor hailed the Supreme Court for delivering landmark judgments on section 377 of IPC which decriminalized gay sex.

He also expressed concern over the role of media in recent times and said that a new and disturbing trend of trial by media has emerged.

“While I am a staunch supporter of press freedom, the media in recent times has played the role of judge, jury and even executioner,” Tharoor said.

Supreme Court judge Justice S K Kaul also spoke on the occasion and said the Constitution must be elastic enough to change according to changing times.

Justice Kaul referred to the recent judgments on adultery, section 377 and the permanent commission of women in armed forces, saying that these cases have played an important role in bolstering the role of India.

Quoting Ambedkar, Justice Kaul said “constitutional morality” is not a natural sentiment and it has to be cultivated.

Professor C Rajkumar, the founding vice-chancellor of O P Jindal Global University, delivered the welcome address.

Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.

Top News

Kannada Sahitya Sammelana: Food distribution creates stir

Rohit gets hit in nets, practice pitches on slower side

India & Kuwait elevate ties to strategic level; ink defence pact after PM Modi meets top Kuwaiti leaders

In Kuwait, PM Modi meets yoga practitioner, other influencers from Gulf country

Notorious gangster wanted in UAPA case arrested at Nepal border

Mandhana, Renuka blow away West Indies in first ODI

‘Condition critical’, say doctors as farmer leader Dallewal’s fast enters 27th day

Related Articles More

Notorious gangster wanted in UAPA case arrested at Nepal border

‘Condition critical’, say doctors as farmer leader Dallewal’s fast enters 27th day

ISRO to study how crops grow in space on PSLV-C60 mission

Vandalism at Allu Arjun’s residence in Hyderabad

PM Modi to attend Christmas celebrations hosted by Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India

MUST WATCH

Tulunadu Daivaradane

Feeding Birds with Creative Paddy Art!

Areca Nut

HOTEL SRI DURGA BHAVANA

Harish Poonja


Latest Additions

Kannada Sahitya Sammelana: Food distribution creates stir

Rohit gets hit in nets, practice pitches on slower side

India & Kuwait elevate ties to strategic level; ink defence pact after PM Modi meets top Kuwaiti leaders

In Kuwait, PM Modi meets yoga practitioner, other influencers from Gulf country

Notorious gangster wanted in UAPA case arrested at Nepal border

Thanks for visiting Udayavani

You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.