Fri Feb 21 20:13:19 UTC 2025: ## Veteran Lawyer Warns of Constitutional Erosion in India
**New Delhi, February 22, 2025** – Senior advocate Indira Jaising delivered a stark warning on Friday, asserting that India’s Constitution is under threat from those entrusted with upholding it. Speaking at the 29th Justice Sunanda Bhandare Memorial Lecture, Jaising argued that recent legislative and judicial actions are eroding the secular foundation of the nation.
Jaising specifically criticized the amended Citizenship Act, which she claims provides a fast-track path to citizenship for certain religious groups, thereby violating the secular principles enshrined in the Constitution. She also voiced strong opposition to the new criminal laws, asserting their failure to address issues like marital rape. Further concerns were raised regarding anti-conversion laws disproportionately affecting minority communities.
The lawyer highlighted several controversial judicial decisions as evidence of a lack of fairness and impartiality within the judiciary. These included instances of hate speech by a sitting judge and insensitive remarks made to a minor rape victim seeking abortion. Jaising noted the alarming trend of judges seeking divine guidance in their decisions, which she termed as anti-Constitutional.
Delhi High Court Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya, while acknowledging the lecture’s importance, underscored the crucial difference between possessing a constitution and truly practicing constitutionalism. He emphasized the rule of law as the defining factor, using the rise of Hitler in Germany as an example of a regime with a constitution but lacking constitutionalism. Jaising concluded her lecture by reaffirming her commitment to the Indian Constitution.
First Piper 