Hasina, Mamata discuss education, culture, business
Kolkata, May 26: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday held discussions on wide-ranging topics including education, business and culture with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
"We discussed our education, culture, business, for the well-being of the people of both the countries," Banerjee said after the talks at a South Kolkata five star hotel where Sheikh Hasina was staying.
Expressing happiness at Sheikh Hasina's two-day visit to West Bengal, Banerjee hoped she and her ministers would keep coming to India.
"I am happy that Hasina ji is here. We want that Hasina di and the Bangladesh ministers keep coming to our country and they also want us to visit time and again," she told reporters.
Also congratulating Sheikh Hasina for being conferred an honorary Doctorate of Literature degree by the Kazi Nazrul University earlier in the day, Banerjee reiterated that her government wanted to build Bangabandhu Bhavan in memory of Bangladesh's founding father, the late Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was also Sheikh Hasina's father.
"Once we get all the permissions we will start with the initiative," she said.
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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.
