The “secular versus communal” debate is a smokescreen behind which the Congress is trying to hide. The Congress, in its desperation to return to power in 2014, has created an environment similar to the Emergency days: control the media, criticise the judiciary, call members of the Opposition “obstructionists” and misuse government machinery for propaganda. India is a “sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic”. The words “socialist” and “secular” were added to the Preamble of the Constitution on November 2, 1976, during an extended tenure of the Lok Sabha. To understand the significance of this, let us recall that the mandate of the sixth Lok Sabha expired on March 17, 1976 — the country was already under Emergency, imposed on June 25, 1975, by the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. With fundamental rights suspended, media completely censored, most Opposition leaders jailed, on February 4, 1976, the Lok Sabha gave itself one year extension. It’s under such an undemocratic environment that Parliament adopted the 42nd Amendment to the Constitution and, at one go, amended the Preamble, 40 Articles of the Constitution and the Seventh Schedule. It also added 14 new Articles and two new parts to the Constitution. Read the full post here : bit.ly/144xoUA
Posted on: Sat, 27 Jul 2013 20:55:00 +0000
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