Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar asserted that only the original Indian Constitution, which includes 22 miniature illustrations, should be in circulation, rejecting alterations by non-parliamentary bodies. His statements followed concerns from BJP MP Dr. Agarwal about the absence of illustrations of significant historical figures. Dhankhar stressed the cultural importance and urged immediate action to preserve the original document.
New Delhi: Vice President of India and Rajya Sabha Chairman, Jagdeep Dhankhar, strongly emphasized that the original Indian Constitution, signed by the Founding Fathers and containing 22 miniature illustrations, must be the only version in circulation. He stated that any amendments made by Parliament could be included, but alterations by other institutions were not acceptable.
Dhankhar’s remarks came in response to BJP MP Dr. Radha Mohan Das Agarwal, who raised concerns in Rajya Sabha regarding the absence of illustrations of Shri Ram, Sri Krishna, Buddha, Mahaveer, Chhatrapati Shivaji, and other historical figures in current copies of the Constitution.
The discussion led to an uproar in the House, prompting Dhankhar to clarify:
“I am categorical that the Constitution signed by the Founding Fathers, carrying 22 miniatures, is the only authentic one and it can include amendments by the Parliament. If there is any change effected by the judiciary or any institution, it is not acceptable to this House.”
Emphasizing the historical and cultural significance of these illustrations, Dhankhar stated,
“It shows the cultural journey of India over 5000 years. Today, any copy of the Constitution you look at, it (drawings) is not there. This is inappropriate.”
Expressing concern over the exclusion of these illustrations, Dhankhar called on the government to take immediate steps.
“I will appeal to the Leader of the House to ensure that in the country only the authentic version of the Indian Constitution be promulgated. Any violation of this should be taken quite seriously by the government and severe action taken,”
he asserted.
This is not the first time Dhankhar has raised the issue. On January 24, 2024, during the launch of the ‘Hamara Samvidhan, Hamara Samman’ campaign, he voiced similar concerns, stressing that children in India are not being exposed to the original Constitution, which reflects India’s 5,000-year-old cultural heritage through these illustrations.
After Dhankhar’s remarks in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition, accused the ruling party of creating controversy around the Constitution, alleging that this issue was being raised to insult Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
Dhankhar countered, stating,
“It will be an insult to Dr. Ambedkar if the original signed copy of the Constitution is not what is being published.”
Union Minister J.P. Nadda then agreed, acknowledging that the current published versions of the Constitution do not contain the original illustrations. He even displayed a copy of the original Constitution featuring the missing illustrations, reinforcing Dhankhar’s argument.
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