April 24 marks 50 years since the Supreme Court delivered its verdict in the landmark Kesavananda Bharati case, ruling that Parliament cannot amend the basic structure of the Constitution. The judgement was delivered on April 24, 1973, by a 13-judge bench of the Supreme Court after a hearing that lasted 66 days.
The verdict that provided a firewall to the constitutional edifice continues to be debated till date. Since late last year, the judiciary and the government have been engaged in a war of words over the basic structure doctrine. The debate has seen remarks by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar and Law Minister Kiren Rijiju.
by Faisal CK
24/04/2023