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The PIL filed by advocates Balram Singh and Karunesh Kumar Shukla and an individual Pravesh Kumar said that the amendment made during the Emergency in 1976 was “antithetical to the constitutional tenets as well as the historical and cultural theme of India.”

The move was “illegal for violating the concept of freedom of speech and expression enumerated in Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution and the right to freedom of religion guaranteed under Article 25 of the Constitution”, it said.

The petition further states that such a move by the Indira Gandhi government during the Emergency was also against the historical and cultural theme of the “great republic of Bharat, the oldest civilization of the world, having clear concept of ‘Dharma’ different from the concept of religion”.

The plea further states that the communist theory of State cannot be applied in Indian context as it was not in tune with the religious sentiments and socio- economic conditions of India.

Hindustan Times report states that the Constituent Assembly, on 15 November 1948 rejected Prof KT Shah’s proposal of adding the words “Secular, Federal and Socialist Nation” after a lengthy discussion. On 25 November 1948, a second amendment was introduced and discussed on incorporating the word ‘secular’ in the draft Constitution.

That, too, was rejected. A week later on December 3 that same year, a third attempt was made to include ‘secular’ in the Article 18 of the Constitution.

This, too, was dismissed by the Constituent Assembly. However, Indira Gandhi government during the State imposed Emergency, added the words ‘secular’ and ‘socialist’ to the constitution originally drafted by Dr BR Ambedkar.

However, the most far-reaching amendment in the history of independent India was made by none other than Indira Gandhi. The 42nd amendment came in when the opposition was in prison under the draconian rules of Emergency.