Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury alleged on Wednesday that the words "socialist" and "secular" were missing in the copies of the Preamble of the Constitution given to lawmakers on the opening day of the new Parliament building.
"We know that the words were added after an amendment in 1976 but if someone gives us the Constitution today and it doesn't have those words, it is a matter of concern," Chowdhury was quoted by news agency ANI as saying. Terming the matter as serious, Chowdhury said the words have been "cleverly removed" and expressed doubts over the intentions of the BJP government.
Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi also backed Chowdhury's claim and said that in the preamble, the words 'socialist secular' were not there."
However, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said the copies carried the original version of the Preamble of the Constitution and that these words were added to it after constitutional amendments. "This is as per the original Preamble. Amendments were made later," he asserted.
Chowdhury also said he knows that the words were added later in 1976 to the Constitution. The Congress Leader of the House in Lok Sabha also said that if someone gives a copy of the Constitution today, it should carry the version of it as of today.
Binoy Viswam of the CPI-M termed the omission of the words as a "crime". Several opposition MPs, including those from the Left and other parties, are likely to raise the matter at their meeting.
Meanwhile, BJP MP Sushil Modi asked if "the socialist word has any relevance now?" He said, "...It was not said that this is the amended copy. This was the original copy when the Constitution was accepted. It did not have the words 'socialist secular' in it...This is an unnecessary controversy.."
(With inputs from agencies)
(Edited by : Akriti Anand)
