Chandigarh, May 14 (IANS) Accompanied by hundreds of workers from the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and Samajwadi Party, the INDIA bloc candidate from the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat, Manish Tewari, filed his nomination on Tuesday following a ‘padayatra’.

Carrying a copy of the Constitution with him, Tewari pointed out that it is the same Constitution that gives every Indian the right to vote or contest an election.

He also said it is ironic that the same Constitution, which has given the people of the country the freedom to elect their representatives and governments, is being threatened by the same people who were elected because of the rights conferred by the Constitution.

Earlier, Tewari met with his supporters at Sector 17 before proceeding towards the Deputy Commissioner-cum-Returning Officer’s office to file his papers.

He was accompanied by Chandigarh Congress President H.S. Lucky, Chandigarh co-in-charge S.S. Ahluwalia, Chandigarh AAP campaign committee head Chandermukhi Sharma, city Mayor Kuldeep Kumar, and Chandigarh Samajwadi Party chief Vikram Yadav, among others.

Later during an informal conversation with reporters, Tewari said the purpose of carrying a copy of the Constitution was to convey a clear and categorical message to everyone that this document will not be allowed to be changed or replaced.

Pointing towards his supporters, who were dancing to the sound of drum beats, Tewari said the festival of democracy that everyone is celebrating and participating in today is because of the Constitution which is very much under threat today.

“I wanted to reiterate and reaffirm my resolve that come what may, the Constitution will not be allowed to be changed or replaced at any cost, and that is the message,” he added.

To another question about his challenge to his BJP opponent Sanjay Tandon for a debate, Tewari said Tandon was hiding behind the bushes.

“Even today, he asked me to list my achievements in Ludhiana and Sri Anandpur Sahib and that is precisely what I have been telling him, to come and ask me as many questions as he wants, but he is running away because he is afraid,” he claimed.

The lone Lok Sabha seat in Chandigarh will go to the polls on June 1.