Amendment to Indian Constitution during Emergency is wrong, says V-P Dhankhar

The Vice-President asked, "Will history repeat itself? If political parties place their ideologies above the nation, our freedom could be endangered. We must resolve to protect our nation's freedom till our last breath."

New Delhi: Commenting on the Preamble of the Indian Constitution, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Saturday that the Preamble of any Constitution is its soul, and the Preamble of the Indian Constitution is unique.

He called the changes made in the Constitution during the Emergency period wrong.

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Vice-President Dhankhar emphasised that, unlike India, the Preamble of no other country’s Constitution in the world has been amended.

He criticised the inclusion of the words “Socialist,” “Secular”, and “Integrity” through the 42nd Constitutional Amendment in 1976.

He described it as tampering with the soul of the Constitution during the dark days of the Emergency.

At a ceremony held at the Vice-President’s residence, he was presented with the first copy of the book “Ambedkar ke Sandesh” (Messages of Ambedkar), compiled by former Karnataka Member of Legislative Council and author D.S. Veerayya.

On this occasion, Dhankhar said, “The Emergency was the darkest chapter of Indian democracy. At that time, people were in jails, fundamental rights were suspended. ‘We, the People of India,’ who are the source of the Constitution’s authority, were in bondage. Was this merely a play of words? No. This must be condemned beyond words.”

Citing the 1973 Kesavananda Bharati vs State of Kerala case, he noted that a 13-judge bench had recognised the Preamble as the guiding light for interpreting the Constitution.

Justice H.R. Khanna had said the Preamble reflects that the authority of the Constitution comes from ‘We, the People of India’.

Vice-President Dhankhar described the amendments made to the Preamble during the Emergency (June 25, 1975-March 21, 1977) as a symbol of injustice.

He said, “At a time when people were imprisoned and deprived of justice, the soul of the Constitution was altered. What greater mockery of justice can there be? The Preamble, which originates from ‘We, the People of India,’ was changed when the people were living in darkness.”

He strongly asserted that adding the words “Socialist,” “Secular”, and “Integrity” was a betrayal of the spirit of the Constitution’s framers.

He said: “These words are a festering wound. They will create unrest. This is an insult to our thousands of year-old civilisational heritage and wisdom. It is a profane disrespect to the soul of Sanatan Dharma.”

Recalling B.R. Ambedkar’s contributions, the Vice-President said that his messages are still relevant today.

“Ambedkar lives in our hearts. His ideas touch the soul. The book ‘Ambedkar ke Sandesh’ should reach MPs, MLAs, and policymakers. We must introspect why the sanctity of our democratic temples is being violated. Why are disruptions harming our democracy?”

Calling the judiciary a crucial pillar of democracy, Vice-President Dhankhar highlighted that two significant benches of the Supreme Court — one with 11 judges (I.C. Golaknath vs State of Punjab) and another with 13 judges (Kesavananda Bharati vs State of Kerala) — regarded the Preamble as the essence of the Constitution’s ideals and aspirations.

He described Ambedkar as a visionary and a national figure, calling his struggles extraordinary.

“It is unfortunate that Ambedkar was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1990. Why such delay? We must internalise his thoughts.”

He quoted Ambedkar saying: “I want every Indian to be Indian first, Indian last, and nothing else but an Indian.”

He reiterated Ambedkar’s concern that India had lost its freedom in the past due to betrayals by its own people.

The Vice-President asked, “Will history repeat itself? If political parties place their ideologies above the nation, our freedom could be endangered. We must resolve to protect our nation’s freedom till our last breath.”

Reflecting again on Ambedkar’s thoughts, Vice-President Dhankhar said: “Ambedkar was a visionary leader. He was not merely a politician, but a great human and a national icon. If you look at his life journey, it wasn’t ordinary but filled with extraordinary struggles. Can you imagine that Ambedkar was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously? I was a Member of Parliament and a Minister in 1990 when he was felicitated. But my heart cried — why such delay? Why posthumously? That is why I share his words with all countrymen for self-reflection.”