Politics
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Claims 'Secular' And 'Socialist' Dropped From New Copies Of Constitution Handed To MPs
Swarajya Staff
Sep 20, 2023, 11:00 AM | Updated 11:00 AM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Congress Leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has alleged that the words 'socialist' and 'secular' have been omitted from the Preamble of the Constitution of India in the new copies of the Constitution which were distributed to the MPs on Tuesday (19 September).
In an interview with news agency ANI, Chowdhury claimedm “The new copies of the Constitution that were given to us today (19th September), the one we held in our hands and entered (the new Parliament building), its Preamble doesn’t have the words ‘socialist secular’.”
Chowdhury said that the words were added to the Preamble after an amendment in 1976.
“if someone gives us the Constitution today and it doesn’t have those words, it is a matter of concern," he said.
Chowdhury also raised suspicion about the "intention" behind the omission of these words.
"It has been done cleverly. It is a matter of concern for me. I tried to raise this issue but I did not get an opportunity…” he added.
The 42nd Amendment to the Constitution, passed in 1976 when an emergency was imposed in the country by the then PM Indira Gandhi, brought about significant changes to the description of India in the Preamble.
The 1976 amendment changed the description of India in the Preamble from the words "sovereign democratic republic" to "sovereign socialist secular democratic republic", reports Indian Express.
Additionally, it replaced the phrase "unity of the nation" with "unity and integrity of the nation" in the Preamble.
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.