BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Assembly witnessed uproarious scenes on Tuesday as opposition BJD and Congress members protested the alleged omission of the words “socialist” and “secular” from the Constitution’s Preamble displayed inside the Vidhan Sabha.

The controversy erupted during Question Hour when senior BJD member Ranendra Pratap Swain raised the issue, prompting party members to storm the well with anti-government slogans. The disruption forced Speaker Surama Padhy to adjourn proceedings twice—first till 12:25 pm and later till 4 pm.
“This mysterious disappearance of these crucial words comes just a day after the Supreme Court affirmed their permanence in the Preamble as per the 42nd constitutional amendment,” Swain told reporters outside the Assembly.
BJD MLA Goutam Buddha Das called the omission a deliberate act and “an insult to the Constitution.” The Congress party joined the protest, with legislature party leader Rama Chandra Kadam demanding the immediate restoration of the words.
However, BJP MLA Irasis Acharya dismissed the opposition’s claims as misleading. “The display shows the original 1949 Preamble, before the two words were inserted in 1976. This has remained unchanged through different governments, including those led by the BJD and Congress,” Acharya explained, adding that “without a doubt, everyone in the country accepts the 42nd Amendment and the Supreme Court verdict retaining these words.”
The opposition also raised concerns about the deaths of three women who allegedly died after consuming mango kernels in Kandhamal district.
Earlier in the day, chief minister Mohan Majhi led Constitution Day celebrations, emphasizing constitutional values and fundamental duties. “The Constitution is our sacred text, guiding the nation and serving as the primary source of all laws and regulations,” Majhi said while leading over a thousand citizens in a march from AG Square to Capital Hospital.
Mohan Majhi highlighted the Constitution’s role in ensuring equal rights regardless of caste, religion, wealth, or gender and stressed the importance of protecting national sovereignty and unity.
The words “socialist” and “secular” were added to the Constitution’s Preamble through the 42nd Amendment in 1976. On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that these words would remain permanent features of the Constitution as it dismissed a PIL seeking their removal.