Left parties denounce RSS' call to review terms 'socialist', 'secular' in Preamble

New Delhi, Jun 27 (PTI) The Left parties on Friday denounced RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale's call to review the words 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Preamble, saying these "basic tenets" of the Constitution reflect the values for which freedom fighters sacrificed their lives.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) alleged the RSS' proposal exposes its "long-standing objective of subverting the Constitution and its intent to transform India into a Hindu Rashtra".

CPI General Secretary D Raja alleged that the RSS "as an ideology is divisive, sectarian, communal and fascist", and the BJP-RSS was pursuing their agenda aggressively.

Hosabale, while addressing an event on the Emergency, said on Thursday that "the preamble of the Constitution that Baba Saheb Ambedkar made never had these words." "During the Emergency, when fundamental rights were suspended, Parliament did not work, and 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 had added.

Hitting out at the RSS, the CPI(M) Politburo said the inclusion of the words 'socialism' and 'secularism' in the Preamble was not an arbitrary addition. These words reflect the core values for which freedom fighters sacrificed their lives, it said.

"The Communist Party of India (Marxist) strongly denounces the proposal made by the RSS general secretary to remove the words 'socialist' and 'secular' from the Preamble of the Indian Constitution.

"This proposal exposes the RSS's long-standing objective of subverting the Constitution and its intent to transform India into a Hindu Rashtra in pursuit of its Hindutva project," the party said.

It underlined that the Indian Constitution embodies the aspirations of countless freedom fighters from various streams.

"The inclusion of 'socialism' and 'secularism' in the Preamble is not an arbitrary addition; it reflects the core values for which freedom fighters like Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh and his comrades stood and sacrificed their lives," the party said.

The CPI(M) said the ideals of the freedom fighters are embedded in every provision of the Constitution, and the insertion of these words merely affirms that legacy.

"It is the height of hypocrisy for the RSS, which played no role in the freedom movement, to now advocate for the removal of these foundational principles. It cannot tolerate the values cherished by our martyrs betrays its reactionary, anti-people, and divisive ideology," the politburo said.

"The CPI(M) firmly opposes any attempt to alter the core values enshrined in our Constitution. We appeal to the people to remain vigilant and resolutely resist all such efforts by the RSS and its protégé BJP." CPI General Secretary D Raja said secularism and socialism are the "basic tenets" of the Constitution.

"Including secularism, socialism is in tune with the basic tenets of the Constitution. The Supreme Court has also validated this. When Ambedkar was drafting the Constitution, he made it clear that India should never become a theocratic nation and should remain a secular nation, and a democratic republic," he told PTI.

"That is why he (Ambedkar) rejected the idea of Hindu Rashtra. He said if Hindu Rashtra becomes a reality, it will be a calamity for the nation. He rejected the theocratic idea," the CPI leader said.

About socialism, Raja said, "While the Constitution was being drafted, some members had taken up the issue of why the word socialism has not been put. Ambedkar replied that the directive principles are nothing but socialism." Taking affront to Hosabale's remarks, he said, "Everyone knows what RSS wants. Everyone knows it is opposed to the Constitution. Why did they speak of '400 paar' (during the last Lok Sabha polls? That is why defending the Constitution became the central issue for opposition parties in the polls." "The RSS as an ideology is divisive, sectarian, communal and fascist, and BJP-RSS is pursuing their agenda aggressively. This is an old RSS campaign, this is nothing new," he said.

Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, in a statement, said the RSS's second senior-most functionary's remark stems "from the Sangh-BJP design to change the Constitution and strip it of its democratic content".

"Even after the Supreme Court rejected petitions demanding dropping the epithets 'socialist' and 'secular' from the Preamble to the Constitution of India, the RSS has reiterated the demand," he said.

"The temporary Emergency of 1975 made India realise the value of democracy, and in 1977 Indian people electorally rejected the Emergency. The 2024 mandate has made it clear that the people of India will not brook the ongoing assault on the Constitution and will surely overcome the undeclared permanent Emergency of the Modi-Shah era," he said.

The suggestion from Hosabale to consider removing the two works from the Preamble came as he hit out at the Congress for the Emergency-era "excesses" and demanded an apology from the party. PTI AO NSD NSD