“The Delhi High Court recently rejected an 84-year-old man’s Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought to replace the term ‘Central government’ with ‘Union’ or ‘Union government’ in all official orders, notifications, and correspondences. The bench, led by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan, emphasized that federalism is a foundational aspect of the Constitution and cannot be deemed diluted or violated by using the expression ‘Central government.’ Atmaram Saraogi from Kolkata, the petitioner, urged the court to direct the Union of India, through the Ministry of Law and Justice, to use ‘Union,’ ‘Union government,’ or ‘Union of India’ instead of ‘Central government.’ However, the court found no merit in the plea and refused to intervene, stating that it won’t enter the legislative domain.
The court underscored that the basic structure of the Constitution serves as the bedrock for the country’s governance. It dismissed Saraogi’s argument that using ‘Central government’ could create a misconception of state governments being subordinate to the Union government. Saraogi’s plea aimed to strike down the definition of ‘Central government’ in Section 3(8)(b) of the General Clauses Act. The court ruled against the petitioner, stating, ‘We do not find any merit in Mr. Saraogi’s petition.’ Saraogi contended that the continued use of such terms could strain the relationship between the Union government and state governments and sought appropriate directions from the court.”
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