Modi praises Morarji for restoring SC's powers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday praised former Prime Minister Morarji Desai for helping to restore the powers of the Supreme Court.

"During his tenure, the 44th Constitutional Amendment was introduced. This was important because the 42nd Amendment which was brought during the Emergency curtailed the powers of the Supreme Court," Modi said in his monthly radio programme "Mann Ki Baat".

"The 44th Amendment made it mandatory that the proceedings of Parliament and Legislative Assemblies were made public. This amendment restored certain powers of the Supreme Court and declared that the fundamental rights granted under Article 20 and 21 of the Constitution could not be abrogated during Emergency."

He appreciated Desai for bringing in a provision that only the President could announce Emergency on the written recommendation of the Cabinet and that the period of Emergency could not be extended more than six months at any stretch.

Modi said Desai had the record of presenting the budget the maximum number of times.

--IANS

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