A Bill to amend the Preamble to the Constitution to replace the word “socialist” with “equitable”, among other changes, being introduced by BJP MP K.J. Alphons led to protests by Opposition MPs on Friday.
Mr. Alphons moved the motion to introduce the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2021 in the Upper House to which Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Kumar Jha objected.
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“Amendment to the Preamble is an attack on the very edifice of the Constitution,” Prof. Jha said, adding that the Bill had not got the President’s prior consent.
Deputy Chairman Harivansh, however, said the Bill did not require President’s consent to be introduced and that the House would decide on the matter. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs V. Muraleedharan suggested that a ruling be given at a later date, leading Mr. Harivansh to say the decision had been “reserved”.
Mr. Alphons’ Bill, which was among the many private member’s Bills listed for introduction on Friday afternoon, sought to change the words in the Preamble “EQUALITY of status and of opportunity” to “EQUALITY of status and of opportunity to be born, to be fed, to be educated, to get a job and to be treated with dignity”. The Bill also proposed adding “access to information technology” and “happiness” as objectives.
Among the other private member’s Bills introduced in the House were the Women’s (Reservation in Workplace) Bill, 2021 by DMK MP Tiruchi Siva, K.T.S. Tulsi’s Bill to amend the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, setting a three-month limit on deciding matters of disqualification of members under the anti-defection law, and the Population Control Bill, 2021 by BJP MP Harnath Singh Yadav.