Google employees arrested for protesting against company's deal with Israel
New York: Employees of the tech giant Google staged sit-in protests at the company’s New York and Sunnyvale, California offices, lasting for over nine hours and resulting in their subsequent arrest.
The demonstrators asserted that they would not disperse until Google terminates its involvement in a $1.2 billion artificial intelligence and surveillance contract with Israel, along with Amazon.
Taking over the office of Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian in California, the protesters occupied the space for more than eight hours.
In a 'notech4apartheid' video, an individual informed the employees of their placement on administrative leave, urging them to vacate voluntarily. However, the protesters declined, leading to their arrest by law enforcement.
Google staff members have consistently voiced opposition to project “Nimbus,” with Palestinian employees highlighting what they perceive as "institutionalized bias" within the company.
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes targeted the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza, resulting in the deaths of eleven individuals, including children, as part of the ongoing bombardment of the Palestinian territory.
Reports indicate that since October 7, Israeli attacks on Gaza have resulted in the deaths of at least 33,843 Palestinians, with 76,575 others sustaining injuries.
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SC upholds inclusion of ‘secular, socialist’ in Preamble of Constitution
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the inclusion of the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ in the Preamble of the Constitution, confirming their retrospective application from November 26, 1949. The court ruled that the power to amend the Constitution under Article 368 extends to the Preamble, which is an integral part of the document.
A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna stated, “The power under Article 368 cannot be curtailed. It will equally apply to the Preamble.” The 42nd Constitutional Amendment, which introduced these terms in 1976 during the Emergency, was challenged on grounds of its retrospective application and the lack of states’ ratification.
The petitioners, including BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, argued that the amendment forced a particular economic theory on the nation and violated the original intent of the Constitution. Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay contended that the Preamble reflects the will of the people at the time of adoption in 1949 and is therefore unalterable.
The court dismissed these objections, affirming that both socialism and secularism are part of the Constitution's Basic Structure. The Bench clarified that socialism refers to a welfare state ensuring equality of opportunity without negating private sector participation or individualism. It emphasised that secularism is embedded in the Constitution, particularly in the principles of equality and fraternity.
Chief Justice Khanna remarked, “Secularism has always been a core feature of the Constitution.” He added that the amendment did not impose socialism as dogma but aligned with the welfare goals enshrined in various constitutional provisions.
