NEW DELHI: Following the controversy that arose when a government advertisement relating to Republic Day reproduced the original Preamble to the Constitution, the Government has given directions that only the amended version of the same should be reflected if an ad displays the Preamble.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley told Parliament today that directions in this regard have been issued to the Directorate for Advertising and Visual Publicity for strict compliance.

The controversy had arisen as the amended Preamble has the words ‘Secular’ and ‘Socialist,’ which did not appear in the advertisement.

DAVP annually issues print advertisements to all empanelled publications on the occasion of Republic Day to commemorate the date and the moment when India became a Republic by adopting the Constitution. This year also a similar practise was followed and six different designs were given to all the empanelled publications.

In one of the advertisement designs issued, the photograph of the original calligraphic representation of the Preamble to the Constitution has been used in the background as a water-mark for enhancing the aesthetic and artistic value. The calligraphic representation has been sourced from the website of the Parliament Museum, New Delhi. The Calligraphic representation and decorated preamble as available in the Parliament Museum is the only such decorated copy till date. The intention of using it as a watermark was to enhance the aesthetic value of the design.

The photo of the original Preamble was a way of honouring founding fathers of the Constitution and there was nomala fide intention to the publication of the un-amended version.

The same original calligraphic representation and decorated Preamble of the Constitution was used in an advertisement commemorating Dr B. R. Ambedkar on the occasion of his birth anniversary on 14 April 2012, he said.