AHMEDABAD: Union law minister

on Wednesday said that if the Constitution of India was to be draw up today in the form in which it was made in 1950, there would be allegations that India was becoming a ‘

’ and secularism was being finished.

Displaying a copy of the Constitution of India, highlighting the title of part III (fundamental rights) which carries a picture of Lord Ram, Sita and Laxman and the title of part IV (directive principles of state policy) which has a picture of Lord Krishna and Arjun, Prasad said: “...Imagine if today it was proposed to put these pictures in the Constitution, what a hue and cry would have happened. There would be allegations that India is becoming a Hindu Rashtra and that secularism is being finished.”

The minister addressing a programme organized by the BJP, ‘Rashtriya Ekta Abhiyaan’, to celebrate 100 days of the Narendra Modi NDA government’s second stint, at Dinesh Hall.

He said that the titles of other sections had pictures of Lord Hanuman, Buddha, Mahavir, Kabir and even Mahatma Gandhi. “There is also Akbar, but not Babur,” said Prasad.

Prasad said when the Constitution was being drafted, there were discussions about whether India’s culture, values and traditions should be incorporated into the document. Everybody, including Nehru and other leaders agreed. “Nandlal Bose, an acclaimed painter was asked to paint the titles of various sections. The founders of our Constitution decided what the paintings would be,” he said.

“This is the reason the founders of our Constitution did not make India secular. They knew the soul of India is secular. Truth is one. It can be reached from various paths. Our communists say that they are constitutional nationalists. I can only ask them to look at the Constitution,” the minister said.