Belagavi: Three persons were allegedly stabbed following a fight that broke out during a Lord Ganesha idol procession, ahead of its immersion, police said on Wednesday.

Darshan Patil, Satish Pujari and Praveen Gundyagol sustained injuries in the attack, and are undergoing treatment at a hospital after the incident in the early hours of Wednesday, they said.

"The incident did not take place during the procession, but near the civil hospital here. What we have come to know is that there was a fight during the procession and police intervened and sent away both sides after warning, and the procession had proceeded," Belagavi Police Commissioner Iada Martin told reporters.

"According to our information, there was an old enmity between one of the victims and an accused due to a fight six-seven months ago," he said, adding this incident might be a consequence of that, and it is being investigated.

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Martin said it was like a fight between a person and his friends with the opposite party due to some problem.

"When they were dancing (during the procession) the fight seemed to have broken out due to some minor thing that opposite side person was touched, that's all'¦..", he said.

The injuries are minor in nature, the Commissioner said, adding, "we know who were involved in the stabbing and we will arrest the accused."

Responding to a question that the fight happened under the "influence of ganja," he said it will be known from the tests.

A case is being registered, officials said.

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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.