Mumbai, Oct 5 (IANS): The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Thursday strongly condemned the dropping of the words ‘Socialist, Secular’ from the Preamble of the Constitution.

This has become evident from the new copies of the Constitution published and distributed to the MPs recently, said the NCP, in a unanimous resolution passed after its Extended Working Committee Meeting held in New Delhi.

The meeting was presided over by NCP President Sharad Pawar and was attended by its Working President Supriya Sule, National Secretary Jitendra Awhad and other senior leaders.

The party also expressed “deep anguish” over the continuing violence in Manipur and the total breakdown of the Constitutional machinery there.

Referring to the recent series of deaths in Maharashtra’s government hospitals, the NCP condemned “the complete breakdown of the health machinery” and the administration’s misplaced priorities that are glaringly evident by the alarming death toll at public hospitals this week in Thane, Nanded, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Nagpur.

Referring to the arrest of Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh and other similar recent cases, the NCP slammed “the politically motivated arrest of public representatives by investigative agencies”.

In the recent crackdown on the Fourth Estate, the NCP flayed the attacks on the press, threw its full weight behind the media and for the constitutionally protected freedom of speech and expression in the country.

The party expressed that it has full confidence in the leadership of Sharad Pawar and condemned a few elected representatives who defected and acted against party directives, in reference to the July revolt by Ajit Pawar and his supporters.

Under the guidance and vision of Sharad Pawar, now the NCP is preparing for the future elections, including for the Lok Sabha and the Maharashtra Assembly, both slated in 2024.