Isn't ‘Precept’ without ‘Practice’ empty rhetoric? It was this fundamental question that came back to haunt political, judicial and academic circles in the wake of the recent ‘Constitution Day’ celebrations on November 26 in Delhi. The day observed every year- to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of India on November 26, 1949, by the Constituent Assembly-, since Government of India declared November 26 as ‘Constitution Day’ by a gazette notification in November 2015 after Mr. Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, saw more brickbats than bouquets this year. Almost the entire Opposition led by the Congress and including the CPI, CPI(M), Trinamool Congress, DMK, Rashtriya Janata Dal, NCP, Shiv Sena and IUML among others, boycotted the main ‘Constitution Day’ event in Parliament Central Hall where Mr. Modi lambasted ‘dynastic politics’. “The Opposition boycotted the function as this Government does not believe in democracy; they are hell-bent on dismantling each and every institution of democratic India,” said the Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. Defending the Opposition boycott with the ‘Spirit-of-the-Constitution-being-more-importantthan-external ritualization’ argument, Congress leader in the Rajya Sabha, Anand Sharma observed: “It is important today to remind the Government that mere observation of this day as a government function, and disrespecting the Spirit and essence of the Constitution, is a very poor reflection on the state of affairs.” “Justice and Rights for every citizen should be equal and the same. It is the responsibility of all of us to ensure that the Constitution is not reduced to a piece of paper,” tweeted the former Congress President, Rahul Gandhi, that day. These remarks underscored the Opposition’s dismay and disappointment over the ruling BJPled NDA eschewing of Constitutional principles, more so with the event coinciding with the first anniversary of the year-long protests against the three Farm Laws by thousands of farmers just outside Delhi, particularly from Punjab, Haryana, U.P. and Rajasthan....