Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury raised concerns on Wednesday over the alleged omission of the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ in the new copies of the Constitution that were given to politicians on the opening day of the new Parliament building. Chowdhury stated that the Preamble of the Constitution in these copies did not include the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’. He highlighted that although these words were added through a constitutional amendment in 1976 during the Emergency, their absence in the current copies is a matter of concern.
Originally, when the Constitution came into force in 1950 making India a republic, the Preamble stated, ‘We, the people of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a sovereign democratic Republic…’. However, during the Emergency, the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ were inserted into the Preamble through the 42nd Constitution amendment, making India a ‘sovereign socialist secular democratic republic’.
Congress leaders expressed their displeasure over the omission of these words in the new copies of the Constitution. They questioned the government’s intention and accused them of cleverly avoiding the words. Congress MP KC Venugopal termed the omission as ‘totally unfortunate’ and suggested that it sends a clear message from the government. However, the BJP responded stating that the copies given were the original version of the Constitution when it was drafted and that the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ were added later through an amendment. Union Minister of Law and Justice of India, Arjun Ram Meghwal, confirmed that the copies distributed were the original ones.
The omission of the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ in the new copies of the Constitution sparked a controversy with Congress leaders criticizing the government. Nevertheless, some BJP MPs dismissed the controversy as unnecessary, questioning the relevance of the word ‘socialist’ in the present context. They emphasized that the copies given were the original ones, and there was no need for unnecessary debate.
In conclusion, the concerns raised by Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury over the omission of the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ in the new copies of the Constitution have ignited a debate between the Congress and the BJP. While the BJP asserts that the copies distributed are the original ones, Congress leaders express their discontent and view the omission as a deliberate move by the government.
