'Secular', 'Socialist' removed from Preamble: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has alleged that the new copies of the Constitution given to lawmakers on the first day of the new Parliament did not have the words "secular" and "socialist" in its Preamble.

On Tuesday, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury led Congress MPs into the new Parliament building while holding a copy of the Constitution. He has alleged that the copy was given to them by the government.

'The new copies of the Constitution that were given to us today (19th September), the one we held in our hands and entered (the new Parliament building), its Preamble doesn't have the words 'socialist, secular,' the leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha said.

'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. Their intention is suspicious. It has been done cleverly. It is a matter of concern for me. I tried to raise this issue but I did not get an opportunity to raise this issue,' he added.