Participating in the discussion on the motion of thanks to the Governor for his address to the state assembly, Congress member Peter Alphonse said his party would not be averse to rewriting the Constitution afresh to protect the rights of people belonging to BC, MBC, SC and ST communities. He also supported the government's demand for providing the States the power to collect service tax.
Tamil Nadu would enjoy the fruits of the coordinated work of the Central and state governments. In Tamil Nadu, 57 projects Central projects worth Rs 37,000 crore were in progress, he added. Velmurugan (PMK) also welcomed the demand for rewriting the Constitution afresh and said this would ensure social justice. Balabharathi (CPI-M), who also welcomed the plea, said the Constitution should be rewritten without affecting the unity and integrity of the nation.
Employment guarantee for youths should be incorporated in the Constitution, she said. CPI member K R Ramasamy said judiciary was exceeding its limits and giving verdicts beyond its purview and the Constitution itself.
Such judgments were affecting the sovereignty and unity of the nation, he said adding 69 per cent reservation in Tamil Nadu should be protected. Governor Surjit Singh Barnala, in his customary address to the assembly on January 20, had urged the Centre to rewrite the Constitution afresh, keeping in mind the changing needs of the nation, while preserving basics like the country's unity, integrity and sovereignty.