Sangh stands by Hosabale amid Preamble review row: ‘What he said…’

Dattatreya Hosabale (Image:X)

Backing its general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Thursday doubled down on the demand to re-examine the inclusion of “secular” and “socialist” in the Constitution’s Preamble.

“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,” RSS chief spokesperson Sunil Ambekar was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

Earlier, addressing an event, Hosabale had called for the review of the terms “secular and socialist” in the Preamble of the Constitution.

“The Preamble to the Constitution Babasaheb Ambedkar made never had these words. During Emergency, when fundamental rights were suspended, Parliament did not work, the judiciary became lame, then these words were added,” he said at an event marking 50 years of Emergency.

The RSS general secretary stated that debates have been held previously on this issue, however, no effort was made to eliminate them from the Preamble. “So whether they should remain in the Preamble should be considered,” he added, according to PTI.

Hosabale’s statement kicked up a political row with the Congress and other opposition parties slamming Hosabale’s statement. 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.