TN Govt urges Centre to rewrite Constitution

Chennai, Jan 20 (UNI) The Tamil Nadu Government today urged the Centre to rewrite the Constitution, saying the nation's political, social and economic facets and the needs of the working class had radically changed in the last 50 years.

Delivering his customary address to the House, Governor Surjit Singh Barnala said people belonging to the Backward, Most Backward, Scheduled Castes and Tribes had been forced to do tight-rope walking to defend their hard won rights and ensure due social justice, including minorities and gender rights.

The need for transfer of more powers to states by reviewing the division of powers between the states and the Union and to ensure that true and wholesome federalism prevailed was increasing day by day.

Though the Constitution was framed by great men of letters like Dr Ambedkar, about 100 amendments had been made so far to take care of the emerging unavoidable needs, he said.

Stating that the Constitution had been rewritten many a time in several countries, Mr Barnala said ''the Constitution of India should be rewritten afresh, having regard to the changing needs, while preserving the unity, integrity and sovereignty of the nation.'' Earlier, the first session of the Assembly this year began on a tumultuous note with the main opposition AIADMK and the MDMK staging a noisy walkout, boycotting the Governor's address. They demanded the resignation of Chief Minister M Karunanidhi in the wake of Madras High Court's split verdict on the Chennai Corporation elections.

More UNI