Latest news with #JitendraSingh
Hans India
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Jitendra Singh backs RSS call
New Delhi: Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Friday defended Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale's suggestion to reconsider the inclusion of the term "socialist" and "secular" in the Preamble of the Indian constitution, saying that any "right-thinking person" would support such a demand as these terms were not part of the original Constitution. "Any right-thinking citizen will endorse it because everyone knows they are not part of the original constitution, which Dr Ambedkar and the rest of the committee wrote. This is not the question of BJP vs is a matter of preserving democratic and constitutional values, and those violating the constitution are actually the biggest violators," Singh told reporters. He pointed out that the words "Secular" and "Socialist" were added later, through the 42nd Amendment to the Constitution during the emergency, and not by the original drafters.
The Print
12 hours ago
- Politics
- The Print
No need for socialism in India, secularism not core of our culture: Union minister Chouhan
In indirect support to the RSS' call to review the words 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Preamble of the Constitution, Union minister Jitendra Singh on Friday also said any right-thinking citizen will endorse it because everybody knows that these words were not part of the original Constitution written by Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar. Chouhan's remarks assume significance as the RSS on Thursday 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. Addressing an event organised at New Delhi on 50 years of the Emergency, RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said, '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, the judiciary became lame, then these words were added.' Speaking at a programme held in Varanasi to mark 50 years of the Emergency, Chouhan said, ''Bharat mein samajwad kee zaroorat nahi hai… Dharmanirapeksh hamaaree sanskrti ka mool nahin hai aur issliye is par zaroor vichaar hona chaahiye' (There is no need for socialism in India… 'Secular' is not the core of our culture and hence, this must be deliberated upon),' he said. Varanasi (UP), Jun 27 (PTI) Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday said 'there is no need for socialism in India', adding 'secularism is not the core of our culture'. Recalling the days of the Emergency, Chouhan said in order to save her power, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed Emergency in the country. 'There was no threat to external security nor was there any threat to internal security. The only threat was to the prime minister's chair, hence, on the night of June 25, 1975, the Emergency was declared in the country without holding a cabinet meeting,' the Union minister said. Veteran Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Rajendra Chaudhary slammed the BJP and the RSS for suggesting that the words 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Constitution's Preamble could be done away with. 'These statements merely prove that the RSS and BJP don't believe in democracy and are making attempts to weaken the Constitution,' Chaudhary told PTI. UP Congress chief Ajay Rai told PTI, 'Such statements in fact validate what we have been saying for long that the RSS and BJP don't have any faith in the Constitution. This country belongs to all. The Congress will protect the Constitution at all costs.' Chouhan said he was only 16 years old when the Emergency was promulgated and he was also arrested and taken to jail under Defence of India Rules. 'Even today, I get goosebumps remembering those dark days. During the Emergency, if there was a frenzy to demolish houses at Turkman Gate, the public was crushed by bulldozers. If anyone protested, they were riddled with bullets. It was not bullets fired on the public, it was the murder of the Constitution,' Chouhan recalled. The Union minister said there was neither any appeal, nor 'vakeel' (lawyer), nor 'daleel' (argument) and alleged that it was murder of the Constitution. 'All civil rights were suspended. Putting a lock on the freedom of the press is murder of the Constitution, reducing the rights of the court, making it ineffective — it was murder of the Constitution. 'Making the entire country a prison — this was the murder of the Constitution. All opposition parties and even students were put in jails. The Congress is the killer of the Constitution,' he said. The senior BJP leader took a dig at Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and without naming him alleged that the Congress does not have the right to keep a copy of the Constitution. 'Those dark days are still remembered. Dictatorship is in the DNA of the Congress. Those who roam around with a copy of the Constitution in their hands will have to answer, he said. Chouhan said if the Congress wants to learn democracy, it should learn from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 'The Bharatiya Janata Party respects the spirit of democracy but for what Congress did, I am repeating again that they should rub their nose and apologise to the country that they had committed this historical mistake,' he said. 'Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly believes in democracy and that is why the work of celebrating Constitution Day in independent India was done by Prime Minister Modi. Democracy is in the nature of the Bharatiya Janata Party,' Chouhan said. PTI COR NAV MAN KSS KSS This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
India Today
17 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
Big political war over RSS's call to review ‘socialist', ‘secular' in Preamble
The big focus of this episode of 5ive Live is RSS's call to remove 'socialist' and 'secular' from the Constitution's preamble, which has sparked a political controversy. A day after RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale pitched for the removal of the terms 'socialist' and 'secular' from the Preamble of the Constitution, BJP leader and Union Minister Jitendra Singh backed the move. Jitendra Singh said, "I don't think there's any doubt about it. Dattatreya Hosabale has stated that the words 'secular' and 'socialist' were added to our preamble after the 45th amendment... Dr. Ambedkar has crafted one of the world's finest constitutions. If this was not his thinking, then how did someone add these words? "Any right-thinking citizen will endorse it because everyone knows they are not part of the original constitution document, which Dr. Ambedkar and the rest of the committee wrote... It's a matter of preserving democratic and constitutional values, and those violating the constitution are actually the biggest violators." Meanwhile, the Congress and the RJD have slammed the RSS and BJP, stating that RSS never accepted the Constitution.
India Today
19 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
Uddhav, Raj Thackeray to protest against 'Hindi imposition' in Maharashtra schools
3:47 Union Minister Jitendra Singh endorsed RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale suggestion of removing 'socialist' and 'secular' words from the Constitution's preamble. He said these words were added during the Emergency and were not part of Dr. Ambedkar's original vision.
Hindustan Times
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
‘No two opinions': Jitendra Singh backs RSS call for removal of ‘secular', ‘socialist' from Constitution's Preamble
Jun 27, 2025 06:59 PM IST Union minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Thursday backed Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale's comments regarding the insertion of the words 'secular' and 'socialist' into the Constitution's Preamble, saying that there is no room for differing views on the matter. Union Minister Jitendra Singh, Jammu and Kashmir BJP President Sat Sharma and others during the release of a book at the party office, in Jammu, Friday, June 27, 2025. (PTI) 'I don't think there are two opinions on this. Dattatreya ji has rightly pointed out that the words 'secular' and 'socialist' were added through the 42nd Amendment, and were not part of Dr B.R. Ambedkar's original vision,' Singh told reporters in Jammu. 'Dr Ambedkar produced one of the best Constitutions in the world. If these words were not part of his thinking, then one must ask—what kind of thinking led to their later inclusion?' he added. When asked about Dattatreya Hosabale's remarks advocating the removal of the terms from the Preamble, Dr Singh responded by saying, 'I think any right-thinking citizen will endorse it, because everybody knows this was not the part of the original Constitution, which was written by Dr Ambedkar and rest of the committee… It's not BJP versus non-BJP, it is about preserving democratic values, preserving the constitutional values,' the minister said. Taking a veiled dig at the Congress leaders, the minister also said, "Those who are flaunting the Constitution book are actually the biggest violators of the Constitution.'
