Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: The Congress launched a fierce counterattack on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Friday after RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale called for a debate on removing the words secular and socialist from the Preamble of the Indian Constitution. The terms were inserted through the 42nd Amendment in 1976 during Indira Gandhi’s government and remain deeply symbolic of India’s commitment to equality and inclusion.
Congress Accuses RSS Of Undermining Ambedkar’s Vision
Reacting sharply, Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh alleged that the RSS has “never” accepted the Constitution and has always undermined its framers, including Dr BR Ambedkar and Jawaharlal Nehru. He said the push to question secular and socialist was a “deliberate assault” on the soul of the Constitution and part of a “long-standing conspiracy” to dismantle India’s inclusive framework.
SC Verdict Supports Preamble’s Secular, Socialist Ideals
Ramesh reminded the RSS and BJP of multiple Supreme Court verdicts affirming secularism and socialism as basic features of the Constitution. He cited the Kesavananda Bharti (1973), SR Bommai (1994) and RC Poudyal cases which upheld that these terms reflect India’s commitment to equal treatment of all faiths and to social and economic justice. The Congress leader sarcastically asked the RSS leader to read the Chief Justice’s ruling of November 2024 that firmly reiterated this position.
