Congress Slams RSS Over Call To Review Terms 'Socialist', 'Secular' In Preamble
New Delhi, Jun 27 (PTI) 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" Babasaheb 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".
The Congress' attack came a day after the RSS 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.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the RSS has "never accepted" the Constitution of India.
"It attacked Dr Ambedkar, Nehru, and others involved in its framing from November 30, 1949 onwards. In RSS' own words, the Constitution was not inspired by Manusmriti," he said in a post on X.
"The RSS and the BJP have repeatedly given the call for a new Constitution.
"This was Mr (Narendra) 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 continue to be made by the RSS ecosystem," Ramesh said.
The Chief Justice of India himself delivered a judgment on November 25, 2024 on the issue now being raised by a leading RSS functionary, he said.
"Would it be asking too much to request him to take the trouble to read it?" Ramesh said.
He also shared on X a copy of the judgement.
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," the party said.
"It is part of a long-standing conspiracy to dismantle Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's vision for a just, inclusive and democratic India - something the RSS-BJP has always been plotting. Let us not forget: when the Constitution was adopted, the RSS rejected it. They didn't just oppose it - they burnt it," it said.
In the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP leaders did not even hide their intent and they declared openly that they needed over 400 seats to "rewrite the Constitution", the Congress claimed.
"But the people of India saw through their agenda and gave them a resounding answer. Now, they have returned to their old playbook. But let it be known: Congress will stand as an unbreakable wall against any attempt to undermine the Constitution. Jai Samvidhan," the party said.
Addressing an event organised here on the Emergency, RSS general secretary Hosabale said on Thursday, "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.
(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)
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