Hosabale's call for reviewing 'socialist', 'secular' words about restoring Constitution to 'original spirit': RSS-linked magazine

New Delhi: RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale's call for reviewing the words 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Preamble of the Constitution is not about dismantling it but about restoring its "original spirit", free from the "distortions" of the Congress' Emergency-era policies, according to an article published in an RSS-linked magazine on Friday.

Citing the Constituent Assembly debate on the issue, it said Hosabale's call resonates with the democratic principles championed by B R Ambedkar and the Constituent Assembly, which rejected a proposal to describe India as a "secular, federal, socialist Union of States" in 1948.

"Their 42nd Amendment was a political manoeuvre, not reflection of the Constituent Assembly's deliberative process. In contrast, Sarkaryavah's (general secretary Hosabale) remarks seek an open dialogue to align the Constitution with Ambedkar's vision of a democratic framework that empowers future generations," said the article, published on the website of the Organiser weekly.

"The Sarkaryavah's call is not about dismantling the Constitution but about restoring its original spirit, free from the distortions of the Congress's Emergency-era policies," it said.

This is a necessary discussion to honour the Constitution's original intent while "exposing" the Congress party's "hypocrisy" in accusing the BJP-RSS of threatening the Constitution when it was Congress that altered it during an "authoritarian era", it added.

The RSS general secretary on Thursday called for reviewing the words 'socialist' and 'secular' in the preamble, saying they were included during the Emergency and were never part of the Constitution.

Reacting to Hosabale's remarks, the Congress on Friday alleged that the RSS has "never accepted" the Constitution and its call to review the words 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Preamble is part of a "long-standing conspiracy to dismantle" Ambedkar's vision for a just, inclusive and democratic India.

The opposition party also said the suggestion by the RSS is a "deliberate assault on the soul of our Constitution".

Citing the Constituent Assembly debates of November 15, 1948, the article noted, "Prof. K T Shah proposed amending Article 1 to describe India as a 'Secular, Federal, Socialist Union of States'." Shah argued that "secular" would affirm the state's neutrality toward all religions, citing India's communal history to underscore the need for equality, and defined "socialism" as ensuring economic justice and equal opportunity without eliminating private property, it said.

"Dr Ambedkar, the Drafting Committee Chairman, opposed Shah's Amendment with compelling reasoning. He argued that the Constitution should serve as a framework for governance, not a platform for imposing specific ideologies," the article claimed.

"What should be the policy of the State, how the society should be organised in its social and economic side are matters which must be decided by the people themselves according to time and circumstances," the article quoted Ambedkar's remarks.

It said Ambedkar was of the opinion that embedding 'socialist' would restrict future generations' freedom to choose their social order, as "thinking people" might devise a better system than socialism.

Ambedkar also deemed the amendment "unnecessary", as the Directive Principles of State Policy already incorporated socialistic goals, such as equitable distribution of resources, the article said.

"If these directive principles...are not socialitic in their direction and in their intent, I fail to understand what more socialism can be," it quoted Ambekar as saying during Constituent Assembly debate.

The article claimed that on "secular", Ambedkar remained silent, likely because fundamental rights (enshrined in Articles 25 to 28 of the Constitution) already guaranteed religious quality and non-discrimination, "rendering the term redundant".

"The Constituent Assembly, guided by Ambedkar's logic, rejected Shah's Amendment, preserving the Constitution's ideological flexibility," it said.

The article said this historic context contrasts sharply with the Congress' actions during the Emergency.

The Organiser's article said, "The Congress current narrative, accusing the BJP-RSS of plotting to undermine the Constitution, is a masterclass in hypocrisy. Leaders like Rahul Gandhi wave the Constitution at rallies yet fail to acknowledge their party's role in violating it during the Emergency." "The Congress has never apologised for jailing dissenters, curbing freedoms, or amending the Preamble under duress," it added.