RSS seeks removal of terms 'socialist', 'secular' from Preamble of Constitution

Addressing an event here, Hosabale also made a strong pitch for the removal of two words -- socialist and secular -- from the preamble of the Constitution, which were inserted by the erstwhile Congress government during Emergency.

New Delhi: The RSS on Thursday called for reviewing the words 'socialist' and 'secular' in the preamble of the Constitution, saying they were included during the Emergency and were never part of the Constitution drafted by B R Ambedkar.

Addressing an event here organised on the Emergency, RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said, “The preamble of the Constitution Baba Saheb Ambedkar made never had these words. During the Emergency, when fundamental rights were suspended, Parliament did not work, judiciary became lame, then these words were added."

He said discussions were held on this issue later but no effort was made to remove them from the preamble. “So whether they should remain in the preamble should be considered,” he added.

"The preamble is eternal. Are the thoughts of socialism as an ideology eternal for India?" Hosabale said.

The suggestion from the RSS second senior most functionary to consider removing the two terms came as he hit out at the Congress for its Emergency era excesses and demanded an apology from the party.

Recalling the days of Emergency, which was announced by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on June 25, 1975, Hosabale said while thousands of people were put in jail and tortured during that period, freedom of the judiciary and media was also curtailed.

The days of Emergency also witnessed large-scale forced sterilisation, the RSS leader said.

"Those who did such things are today roaming around with the Constitution's copy. They have still not apologised... Apologise," he said.

"Your ancestors did it... You must apologise for this to the country," Hosabale said.

Addressing the event, Union minister Nitin Gadkari slammed the Congress over imposition of Emergency by the Indira Gandhi government 50 years ago and said the cycle of atrocities committed during 21-months of the Emergency by the erstwhile Congress dispensation can never be forgotten.

“To save her 'kursi' and suppress the voice of people, then prime minister Indira Gandhi announced the imposition of Emergency on June 25, 1975, crushing the spirit of the Constitution,” he said.

Gadkari said the Constitution was “ripped to shreds” as several amendments were made in it during the period of Emergency.

“Congress leaders campaigned against us (alleging) that we will change the Constitution. We neither ever talked about changing the Constitution, nor did we have any desire to do so. If anyone committed the biggest sin of violating the Constitution, it was the Congress under the leadership of Indira Gandhi,” he charged.

All those who opposed the Emergency including Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L K Advani, George Fernandes and other leaders of the opposition parties were put in jail, he said, adding the RSS was also targeted and a large number of those associated with it were arrested and subjected to torture.