SC upholds words 'socialist', 'secular'

The Supreme Court on Monday rejected at least three petitions seeking deletion of the words 'secular' and 'socialist' from the preamble of the Constitution of India.

The words were inserted into the Preamble in 1976 by way of 42nd amendment when the national emergency was in force.

A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna and Justice P V Sanjay Kumar said that the power of Parliament to amend the Constitution extends to the Preamble as well. Also, the date of adoption will not curtail or restrict the power under Article 368 of the Constitution.

The bench further observed that there was no "legitimate cause or justification for challenging this constitutional amendment after nearly 44 years." "It has almost been so many years, why rake up the issue now," CJI Khanna said after the pronouncement, reports Live Law.