Our freedoms are shrinking: Menaka Guruswamy
These values are, however, under challenge and India is going through turmoil because of violence and religious division, she said.
Hyderabad: Calling out the recent government’s failure to keep up with core values of the Constitution of India, senior advocate of Supreme Court, Menaka Guruswamy said that it upheld four core values – equality, fraternity, dignity and non-discrimination.
These values are, however, under challenge and India is going through turmoil because of violence and religious division, she said, adding that the Constitution was created to protect the freedom of disadvantaged or marginalised people of society.
“However, in the prevalent situation our freedoms are shrinking. The siege on our Constitution is threatening our future,” she said to a gathering at an event on Wednesday.
Citing an example of legal system during former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s regime, she said, “Even when Emergency was declared across the country, Habeas Corpus writ petitions were heard by courts within 24 hours. But, the travesty of today is that such petitions never even reach the bench today.”
Raising concerns over the lackadaisical attitude of the courts, said that the key question we must ask ourselves pertains to the ideology that led to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.