Seven killed, 23 injured in car racing mishap in Sri Lanka: Police
Colombo, Apr 21: At least seven people, including a child, were killed and 23 others were critically injured in a mishap caused during a motor car racing event in Sri Lanka's Uva province on Sunday, police said.
The accident happened when a competing car in the racing event held at the central hill resort of Diyathalawa veered off the track and collided with the spectators, killing seven and injuring three others.
"In the accident, 23 people were critically injured and seven others were killed," said police.
Police spokesman Nihal Thalduwa said that the deceased included an 8-year-old boy and four-track assistants among others.
"A total of 23 more have been hospitalised," the police said.
The annual event marking the traditional New Year festivities came to be halted in 2019 with the Easter Sunday attack where 270 people were killed in suicide bomb attacks.
Sunday’s resumption coincided with the fifth anniversary of the attack only to be halted by the tragic incident of seven deaths.
At least seven people were killed and over 20 others sustained injuries when a car went off track and crashed into a group of spectators at the Fox Hill Super Cross race in Diyatalawa today.#Srilanka #Foxhill #Diyatalawaaccidemt pic.twitter.com/AFeoYGwCQY
— Easwaran Christian Rutnam (@easwaranrutnam) April 21, 2024
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
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.
