Cong, other oppn parties slam Hosabale's call on Preamble; RSS-linked weekly defends Sangh leader

New Delhi, Jun 27(PTI) The Congress and other opposition parties on Friday slammed RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale’s call for a national debate on whether the terms 'secular' and 'socialist' should remain in the Preamble, terming it "political opportunism" and a "deliberate assault" on the soul of the Constitution.

As Hosabale’s strong pitch for a review of the two words inserted in the Preamble of the Constitution during the Emergency days(1975-77) kicked up a political row, an article published in an RSS-linked magazine Organiser said it is not about dismantling the Constitution but about restoring its "original spirit", free from the "distortions" of the Congress' Emergency-era policies.

Union minister Jitendra Singh and senior BJP leader sought to defend the call by the second senior most functionary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh(RSS), saying any right-thinking citizen will endorse it because everybody knows that these words were not part of the original Constitution written by Dr B R Ambedkar.

Addressing an event on Thursday in connection with the 50th anniversary of the imposition of Emergency, 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." The RSS leader 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?" said Hosabale, who was also imprisoned during the Emergency.

While the Congress saw Hosabale’s remarks as a "deliberate assault" on the soul of the Constitution and claimed the RSS-BJP had never accepted Ambedkar's Constitution, the CPI(M) said the demand exposes the RSS' long-standing objective of subverting it. The RSS is the ideological mentor of the BJP.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the mask of the RSS has come off again as they want 'Manusmriti'. "The Constitution irks them because it speaks of equality, secularism, and justice," he said in a post in Hindi on X.

"The RSS should stop dreaming... we will never let them succeed. Every patriotic Indian will defend the Constitution until their last breath," the former Congress chief asserted.

CPI(M) leader and Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Hosabale's call is a "brazen attempt to dismantle the core ideals of our Republic".

"Secularism and socialism are not additions; they define India. Every citizen who believes in democracy must raise their voice against this communal agenda," he posted on X.

The Left parties and RJD alleged that Hosabale's proposal was part of a conspiracy to change the Constitution.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the BJP/RSS attacked Ambedkar, Nehru, and others involved in the framing of the Constitution from November 30, 1949, onwards. "In the RSS' own words, the Constitution was not inspired by Manusmriti," he said in a post on X.

In a post on X from its official handle, the Congress alleged the RSS-BJP's ideology stands in direct opposition to the Indian Constitution.

"RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale has openly called for the removal of the words 'socialist' and 'secular' from the Preamble. This is not just a suggestion -- it is a deliberate assault on the soul of our Constitution," it said.

RJD president Lalu Prasad, who claimed that social justice and communal harmony are his guiding principles, voiced his anguish on X by terming the RSS a "casteist" outfit.

"They do not have the guts to cast an evil eye on the Constitution and reservations provided therein. Why are people with an unjust character so full of hatred for democracy and Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution?" In a statement, the CPI(M) Politburo said the inclusion of 'socialism' and 'secularism' in the Preamble is not an arbitrary addition and reflects the core values for which freedom fighters sacrificed their lives.

CPI General Secretary D Raja said everyone knows what RSS wants. "Everyone knows it is opposed to Constitution/why they spoke of '400-paar' and that is why defending constitution became the central issue for opposition parties." Citing the Constituent Assembly debate on the issue, the Organiser weekly stressed that 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," it said, targeting the Congress.

"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 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." Talking to reporters in Jammu, Minister Jitendra Singh said, "I think any right-thinking citizen will endorse it because everybody knows that it was not part of the original Constitution written by Dr Ambedkar and the team." Singh was replying to a question by reporters on whether the BJP endorses the removal of the words "secular" and "socialist" from the Preamble.

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