Bengaluru, 17 Feb

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said the Constitution belongs to every citizen of the country and efforts to undermine its foundations must be thwarted. While speaking to reporters here in connection with the National Unity Convention, Siddaramaiah said some people have no faith and respect for the Constitution and hence, they are misleading people.

"The principles of secularism, equality and fraternity are the foundations of the constitution. It is the responsibility of every citizen to thwart attempts to undermine it," Siddaramaiah said. Several rights mentioned in the Constitution would not have been possible without struggle, he said. "It has been 77 years since independence and 75 years since the Constitution was adopted, but not everyone has got all the rights," the chief minister said.

Even after all these years, inequality has not yet gone away from our society, he pointed out. "Everyone should be aware of this. There should be awareness about economic and social equality which has been given by the Constitution...Don't sit idle by saying it's not given," Siddaramaiah said.

The Karnataka government is organising a statewide 'Constitution Awareness Jatha' (mass awareness) from January 26 to February 23 to mark the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Indian Constitution.

As part of the Constitution and National Unity Convention, Constitution Conference and Expo will be organised on February 24 and 25 morning, and a mega Constitution Awareness Convention on February 25.

Several renowned speakers and thinkers are expected to participate in the event.

Noting that awareness of law is low in our country, Siddaramaiah said many people do not know about the Constitution. Every citizen of the country should know about our Constitution, and whether the rights given by the Constitution are being properly implemented, he stressed. "Some people have no faith and respect for the Constitution. Hence, they are misleading people," he said.

Highlighting that it is the duty of the government to create awareness about the Constitution, the CM said, "The Constitution enunciates tolerance and coexistence, but is it being upheld? Is 'Sab Ka Saath, Sab Ka Vikas' really happening?" "If there is commitment and clarity in creating awareness about the Constitution, no one can mislead us. About 78 percent of people are educated. But, even today educated people still believe in superstitions. We have no knowledge of rationality," he said, as he urged people to understand the difference between what is right and wrong.