Finest Constitution fails under poor leadership: CM

Amaravati: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday said that even the finest Constitution fails under poor leadership, citing B R Ambedkar's view that good people can deliver positive outcomes despite systemic flaws.

Speaking at a mock Assembly session enacted by students as part of 'Samvidhan Divas–Constitution Day' celebrations, Naidu said: "However great a Constitution may be, if the people implementing it are not good, the results will be bad. Conversely, however flawed a Constitution may be, if the people implementing it are good, the results will be positive". He lauded the students for recreating the Assembly environment with remarkable confidence, reflecting the spirit of the Constitution and the responsibilities it entrusts to future generations. Naidu also appreciated the manner in which students conducted house proceedings, noting that they closely resembled the ambience and decorum of an actual Legislative Assembly. Accompanied by IT Minister Nara Lokesh and other officials, the Chief Minister witnessed students perform as MLAs, ministers, and the Speaker.

The statewide mock assembly session conducted on the premises of the AP Legislature, drew an overwhelming response.

A total of 175 students, representing all Assembly constituencies, took part in the proceedings, while lakhs of students watched the session virtually from schools across the State.

The Chief Minister told the students that adversity should be used as a springboard for progress, recalling that he became an MLA at 28, a minister at 30 and Chief Minister at 45, and is now serving his fourth term as the Chief Minister.

Emphasising the strength of India’s Constitution, Naidu said it had enabled a “chaiwala” to become Prime Minister and a tribal woman to become President. He urged students to uphold constitutional values and said legislative proceedings must always focus on public good rather than personal attacks. He advised girl students to face challenges with courage and without fear.

The Chief Minister said India was rising swiftly under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, emerging as the world’s fourth-largest economy and heading toward the top position. Sharing his own experiences, he said he studied under kerosene lamps before implementing far-reaching power sector reforms as Chief Minister. Today, households are able to generate electricity on rooftops through solar schemes, he said. He stressed the need for instilling ethics among children and said the government had appointed scholar Chaganti Koteswara Rao to guide students on moral values. Naidu later released a book titled Constitution of India for Children.