Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana on Friday extolled “debate and discussion” and tied it to India’s progress while Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested the country’s growth story was being disrupted “in the name of freedom of expression”.

The Opposition has been accusing the government of railroading bills through Parliament without proper discussion, such as with the triple farm laws and labour reforms.

“The Constitution of today, built upon the foundations laid by the framers, is a richer and more complex document than what it was when it was adopted in 1949. This is a result of the dialogue that took place both inside and outside the courtroom, resulting in novel and unique interpretations,” the Chief Justice said at the Constitution Day celebrations organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association on the apex court lawns.

“Perhaps, the most important feature of the Indian Constitution is that it provides a framework for debate. It is through such debate and discussion that the nation ultimately progresses, evolves, and achieves higher levels of welfare for the people. The most direct and visible players in this process are, of course, the lawyers and judges of this country.”

Modi, later addressing the same event, suggested that internal and external forces with a “colonial mindset” were obstructing India’s progress, sometimes by citing the right to free speech, a PTI report said.

“We are the only country that is in the process of achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement ahead of time and yet, in the name of environment, various pressures are being created on India. All this is the result of a colonial mindset,” Modi was quoted as saying.

“But the unfortunate thing is that in our country, too, due to such a mindset, obstacles are being put in the path of development, sometimes in the name of freedom of expression and sometimes with the help of something else.”

Almost the entire Opposition boycotted a Constitution Day event in Parliament, accusing the Modi government of undermining the Constitution.

Justice Ramana, speaking at the apex court event, urged advocates to assist judges and judicial institutions in upholding constitutional values and protecting them from motivated attacks.

“We are all ultimately part of one large family. Protect the institution from motivated and targeted attacks. Do not shy away from standing up for what is right, and against what is wrong,” the Chief Justice said.

“I would like to quote Dr B.R. Ambedkar: ‘Men are mortal. So are ideas. An idea needs propagation as much as a plant needs water. Otherwise, both will wither and die.’ On this Constitution Day, let us all pledge to propagate the ideas that form the basis of the Constitution: freedom, equality and justice in all of (their) facets for all people. I expect all of you to guide the nation to an ever brighter future.”

Justice Ramana said he was happy to be part of a legal community that had contributed heavily to the freedom struggle and the drafting of the Constitution.

“None can forget the contributions of lawyers such as Mahatma Gandhi, Dr B.R. Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru, Lala Lajpat Rai, Sardar Patel and Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer, whose dedication and sacrifices for the cause of the people are legendary. All of us here are successors of that glorious legacy,” he said.