‘One flag, one PM, one constitution’ not a political slogan: Amit Shah in Lok Sabha

Union Home Minister Amit Shah Tuesday asserted that the concept of “one flag, one prime minister, one constitution” was not a political slogan and the BJP firmly believes in the principle and finally implemented it with regard to Jammu and Kashmir. Responding to a remark by TMC’s Saugata Roy in the Lok Sabha that “ek nishan, ek pradhan, ek samvidhan (one flag, one head, one constitution)” was a “political slogan”, Shah wondered as to how can a country have two prime ministers, two constitutions and two flags. He said Roy’s remarks were “objectionable”.

While responding to a remark from the opposition benches, Shah said, “Whosoever did it was wrong. Narendra Modi has corrected it. Your approval or disagreement does not matter. The entire country wanted it.” This comment was made in an apparent reference to the abrogation of provisions of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.

He went on to state that “one symbol, one head, one constitution” was not an election slogan. “We had been saying since 1950 that a country should have one PM, one flag and one constitution and two will not do and we have done it.” Soon after Roy ended his speech on the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said while the TMC leader mentioned Syama Prasad Mukherjee, he should have also recalled his sacrifice. Roy said he had taught in a college named after Mukherjee and “ek nishan, ek pradhan, ek samvidhan” was his slogan and it was a “political slogan”. Shah then rose to hit back at the TMC member.