The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Thursday reiterated its support for RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale’s call to review the words “secular” and “socialist” in the Preamble to the Constitution of India, urging a deeper examination of the context under which the words were inserted during the Emergency.
“What he (Hosabale) said is that it is important to understand the context of how the words were inserted when Emergency was imposed in the country and atrocities and excesses were carried out. He spoke about the things that should be discussed and the need to debate these issues,” said RSS chief spokesperson Sunil Ambekar.
Speaking at an event in Delhi on June 26, Hosabale had stated:
“During the Emergency, two words, secular and socialist, were added to the Constitution, which were not part of the original Preamble. Later, these words were not removed. Should they remain or not… a debate must happen on this. These two words were not in Dr Ambedkar’s Constitution. During the Emergency, the country had no functioning Parliament, no rights, no judiciary and yet these two words were added.”
These terms were included during the controversial 42nd Amendment in 1976, passed when civil liberties were suspended under then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s regime.
Political Reaction
Hosabale’s remarks sparked a political firestorm, with the Opposition, particularly the Congress, accusing the RSS and BJP of attempting to “dismantle the Constitution”.
“The mask of RSS has come off again. The Constitution irks them because it speaks of equality, secularism and justice,” said Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on X.
“The RSS, BJP do not want the Constitution, they want ‘Manusmriti’. They aim to strip the marginalised and poor of their rights and enslave them again. Snatching a powerful weapon like the Constitution from them is their real agenda.”
RSS Annual Meet and Key Agendas
Ambekar was speaking during a press conference in Delhi ahead of the three-day All India Prant Pracharak meeting, attended by top RSS leaders including chief Mohan Bhagwat.
He said the RSS is preparing for its centenary year celebrations, with events beginning on Vijayadashami (October 2), including:
- Hindu Sammelans across the country
- Door-to-door campaigns (Griha Sampark) to explain RSS ideology
- Special sessions with Bhagwat in Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Kolkata
- Meetings with eminent personalities at the district level
On Representation and Caste Census
Addressing criticism that RSS lacks representation from socially backward communities, Ambekar said:
“The Sangh does not work like a political party. We work to unite people on the ground and take all sections along…that is the reason why the Sangh attracts support nationwide.”
On the Union government’s decision to conduct caste enumeration, he said:
“The government can take whatever information is needed… the thrust of our work is social harmony, and whatever is needed for people’s welfare should be done.”
The RSS meeting will also review matters related to national security, illegal immigration, and atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh, he added.