‘Repository of safeguarding Constitution is that of elected representatives’: VP Jagdeep Dhankar

NEW DELHI: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar on Tuesday spoke about the supremacy of Parliament in a democracy and stated that there should be no doubt that the Constitution is for the people and the repository of safeguarding it was that of the elected representatives.

Addressing the celebrations of the 75 years of the Constitution, which took place at the University of Delhi, the Vice President further stated that the elected representatives are the ultimate masters as to what the Constitution’s content would be.

Dhankar said, “A Prime Minister who imposed Emergency was held accountable in 1977. And therefore, let there be no doubt about it: The Constitution is for the people, and the repository of safeguarding is that of the elected representatives. They are the ultimate masters as to what the Constitution’s content will be”.

The Preamble of the Constitution says:

“We, the People of India.” Let there be no doubt about it: the Constitution is for the people, and its repository of safeguarding is that of the elected representatives. They are the ultimate masters as to what the Constitution’s content… pic.twitter.com/ZhD7uTBGIz

— Vice-President of India (@VPIndia) April 22, 2025

He also stated that the Constitution was encapsulated and its essence, worth and nectar were in the Preamble of the Constitution, which stated that the supreme power was with the people of the country.

“The Constitution is encapsulated, its essence, its worth, its nectar, in the Preamble of the Constitution. And what does it say? ‘We, the People of India’. The supreme power is with them. No one is above the people of India. And we, the People of India, under the Constitution, have chosen to reflect their aspirations, their desires, their will through their public representatives. And they hold the representatives accountable, severely accountable, on occasions through elections”, he stated.

Democracy is not only for the government to govern. It is participatory democracy- comprising not merely laws, but also culture and ethos.

Citizenship demands action, not merely status. Every individual, if he or she decides, can inculcate a new fervour of nationalistic spirit… pic.twitter.com/4Y9BwyEZkz

— Vice-President of India (@VPIndia) April 22, 2025

“For any democracy, every citizen has a pivotal role. I find it inconceivably intriguing that some have recently reflected that constitutional offices can be ceremonial or ornamental. Nothing can be far distanced from a wrong understanding of the role of everyone in this country, constitutional functionary or a citizen. According to me, a citizen is supreme because a nation and democracy are built by citizens. Every one of them has a role. The soul of democracy resides and pulsates in every citizen. Democracy will blossom, its values will get heightened when citizen is alert, citizen contributes and what citizen contributes there is no substitution of that,” he added. (ANI)