The Bharatiya Janata Party-led government has clarified that the newly printed copies of the Constitution retain the original Preamble, which lacked the words ‘secular’ and ‘socialist.’ This move occurred moments before the inaugural meeting in the new Parliament building on Tuesday.
BJP leader and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi stated, “The constitution existed like this when it was framed. The change came into place after the 42nd amendment. Genuine copies of the Constitution exist.”
Notably, the newly printed copies incorporate all other constitutional amendments. However, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury criticized the omission, stating, “It is a matter of concern…Their intention is suspicious. It has been done cleverly.”
Congress MP KC Venugopal expressed concern, saying, “It is totally unfortunate” that the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ were removed from the Preamble, which were originally added in the 42nd Amendment in December 1976.
Chowdhury emphasized the significance of the Constitution, saying, “This Constitution is no less than Gita, Quran, and Bible for us.” He also stressed the unity of India and Bharat as highlighted in Article 1 of the Constitution.
This transition marked a historic moment as the Parliament moved into a new complex, bidding farewell to the colonial-era building and convening for the first time in the new facility during a special session.
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