5. Criticism of the Constituent Assembly

♤ Not a Representative Body: Members of the Constituent Assembly weren’t directly

elected by people according to universal adult franchise.

♤ Not a Sovereign Body: It is said that the Constituent Assembly was formed, based on the proposals of the British Government. Further, it held its sessions with permission of British Government.

♤ Domination of Congress members: Granville Austin, an English constitutional expert, remarked: “The Constituent Assembly was a one-party body in an essentially one-party country. The assembly was the Congress and also the Congress was India.”

♤ Lawyer-Politician Domination: The fact that lawyers and politicians dominated the membership of the assembly is cited as the main reason behind the bulkiness and complicated nature of the Constitution.