76 years ago, 264 Constituent Assembly members signed Indian Constitution: Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Saturday recalled that 76 years ago today, 264 members of the Constituent Assembly formally affixed their signatures to the Constitution of India, which is a charter for profound socio-economic transformation.
In a post on X, the Congress general secretary also recalled that the members sat together for a group photograph, which "is one for the ages".
"76 years ago today, 264 members of the Constituent Assembly formally affixed their signatures to the Constitution of India that they had earlier adopted on November 26, 1949. They signed three copies -- two of which were handwritten in English and Hindi and carried 22 illustrations by artists from Shantiniketan, led by none other than Nandalal Bose himself," Ramesh said.
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The beautiful calligraphy in English was by Prem Behari Narayan Raizada, and the one in Hindi was by Vasant K Vaidya, he noted.
"The first page of these handwritten Constitutions had the national symbol that was designed by Dinanath Bhargava, who had spent a few months visiting the Kolkata Zoo at Nandalal Bose's insistence so as to ensure that the lions in the emblem looked exactly like the real lions," the Congress leader said.
"Quite apart from the fact that it is a charter for profound socio-economic transformation, the Lalit Kala Akademi set up in August 1954 has described the illustrated Constitution as 'a seminal art treatise' that navigates India's multi-layered history and celebrates the threads of unity in diversity," Ramesh said.
"That very day, the members sat together for a group photograph. It is one for the ages," he added.
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Can't say when I'll return to India; legally barred from leaving UK: Mallya to Bombay HC
Mumbai (PTI): Fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya, facing multiple cases of fraud and money laundering, told the Bombay High Court on Wednesday that he cannot say when he will return to India as he is legally barred from leaving the UK.
In a statement submitted through his counsel Amit Desai to the high court, Mallya said he did not have an active passport after it was revoked and hence, he cannot give a definite date of return to India.
The statement was submitted after a bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad made it clear last week that it would not hear Mallya's plea against the order declaring a fugitive economic offender until he returns to India.
The court had then asked the former liquor to clarify whether or not he intended to return to India.
Mallya, based in the United Kingdom since 2016, has filed two petitions in the HC -- one challenging an order declaring him a fugitive economic offender and the other questioning the constitutional validity of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act.
The 70-year-old liquor baron is accused of defaulting on multiple loan repayments of several thousand crores and facing money laundering charges.
The businessman, in his statement to HC, said he cannot give a definite date for his return as he does not have his Indian passport, which was revoked by the government in 2016, and also because there are orders of courts in England and Wales that prohibit him from leaving the country.
"Mallya is not permitted to leave or attempt to leave England and Wales or apply for or be in possession of any international travel document. In any event, the petitioner is unable to precisely state when he will return to India," Desai read out the statement in the court.
The senior counsel reiterated that Mallya's presence was not required in the country for the court to hear his pleas against the fugitive tag and the provisions of the Act.
"If he (Mallya) were to appear in India, then all these proceedings would be rendered irrelevant as the statute says that once the offender appears in the concerned court of law, then all these orders would be set aside," Desai told the court.
The bench directed the Union government to file its reply to Mallya's statement and posted the matter for further hearing next month.
Mallya was declared a Fugitive Economic Offender in January 2019 by a special court hearing cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The businessman left India in March 2016.
