NEW DELHI: Opposition parties strongly criticised RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale’s suggestion to review ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ words in the Preamble, viewing it as an attack on the Constitution’s essence.At an Emergency-focused event, Hosabale had stated that these terms weren’t in Ambedkar’s original Preamble and suggested reconsidering their inclusion. Union minister Jitendra Singh supported this view, noting these weren’t part of the original Constitution.The Congress and CPI(M) voiced strong objections following the RSS’s proposal to review these terms, which were incorporated during the Emergency period and weren’t in Ambedkar’s original draft.Rahul Gandhi posted on X: “The Constitution irks them because it speaks of equality, secularism, and justice. The RSS-BJP doesn’t want the Constitution; they want ‘Manusmriti’. They aim to strip the marginalized and the poor of their rights and enslave them again. Snatching a powerful weapon like the Constitution from them is their real agenda.”Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan criticised the move, noting the RSS’ previous association with Indira Gandhi’s government. “RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale’s call to review secularism and socialism in the Indian Constitution is a brazen attempt to dismantle the core ideals of our Republic. Invoking the emergency to discredit these principles is a deceitful move, especially when the RSS colluded with the Indira Gandhi Government during that time for its own survival. To use that period now to undermine the Constitution reflects sheer hypocrisy and political opportunism. Secularism and socialism are not additions; they define India. Every citizen who believes in democracy must raise their voice against this communal agenda,” he wrote on X.Left parties and RJD suggested this was part of a broader plan to alter the Constitution.Congress’ Jairam Ramesh highlighted the BJP/RSS’s historical opposition to the Constitution since November 30, 1949. Taking to X, Ramesh wrote, “The RSS has NEVER accepted the Constitution of India. It attacked Dr. Ambedkar, Nehru, and others involved in its framing from Nov 30, 1949 onwards. In the RSS’s own words, the Constitution was not inspired by Manusmriti. The RSS and the BJP have repeatedly given the call for a new Constitution.““This was Mr. Modi’s campaign cry during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The people of India decisively rejected this cry. Yet the demands for changing the basic structure of the Constitution continues to be made by the RSS ecosystem. The Chief Justice of India himself delivered a judgment on November 25, 2024 on the issue now being raised by a leading RSS functionary. Would it be asking too much to request him to take the trouble to read it?” he added.The party’s official stance emphasised their commitment to protecting constitutional values.K C Venugopal pointed out that the Supreme Court had established socialism and secularism as fundamental to the Constitution’s structure. “The RSS’ single-minded focus to destroy the Constitution is never hidden for too long. Beyond the BJP’s lip service to the Constitution, their hidden agenda has always been to distort and destroy our Constitution – because it stands against the core fascist beliefs of the RSS-BJP. A senior RSS member surely knows that the Supreme Court declared socialism and secularism to be part of the basic structure of the Constitution. Yet, to take this stand is a clear insult to the Constitution, a rejection of its values, and a direct attack on the Supreme Court of India as well. The people of India know very well the devious means deployed by the RSS to spread poison and divide this country. We will never let them succeed in this mission, and will defend the Constitution to the hilt,” wrote Venugopal.RJD president Lalu Prasad expressed concerns about threats to social justice and communal harmony. “The country’s largest casteist and hateful organisation, RSS, has talked about changing the Constitution. They don’t have the courage to even glance at the Constitution and reservations. Why do people with an unjust character harbour such hatred in their minds and thoughts towards democracy and Baba Saheb’s Constitution?” wrote Lalu in Hindi.The CPI(M) Politburo issued a statement defending the inclusion of these terms as reflective of freedom fighters’ core values. CPI general secretary D Raja emphasised the importance of defending the Constitution.BJP responded by accusing Congress of historical constitutional violations and called for acknowledgment of Emergency-era transgressions instead of creating diversions.
