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Time of India
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
'Preamble not changeable': VP Dhankhar weighs in on Constitution debate; calls for 'reflection'
NEW DELHI: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday called the Preamble as the soul of the constitution. Speaking at a book launch event, Dhankhar acknowledged that India was the only country where the Preamble had been amended, a reference to the 42nd Amendment enacted during the Emergency in 1976. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'But this Preamble was changed by the 42nd Constitution (Amendment) Act of 1976,' he said, as quoted by news agency PTI. 'We must reflect. B R Ambedkar did painstaking work on the Constitution and he must have surely focussed on it," PTI quoted the VP saying. The Vice President's came following comments by RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, who questioned the legitimacy of the inclusion of 'secular' and 'socialist' in the Preamble — a position that has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition. On Thursday, Hosabale stirred political waters by arguing at an event marking the 50th anniversary of the Emergency that 'secular' and 'socialist' were inserted into the Constitution during a period of authoritarian rule and should now be reviewed. He said these terms were not part of the original draft authored by Dr B R Ambedkar and were forcibly added during a time when civil liberties were crushed and democratic institutions undermined. BJP leaders including Union ministers Jitendra Singh and Shivraj Singh Chouhan said any 'right-thinking citizen' would support such a review. 'The word secularism was added during the Emergency. It should be removed. The country should think about this,' Chouhan said, arguing that equality of all religions is already the Indian ethos. Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC echoed the sentiment, suggesting that terms like 'pseudo-secularism' have undermined India's democratic principles. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Rahul Gandhi: 'RSS wants Manusmriti, not Constitution' Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi accused the RSS-BJP of harbouring a hidden agenda to dismantle the Constitution and deny the poor and marginalised their rights. 'RSS-BJP doesn't want the Constitution. They want Manusmriti. They aim to strip the marginalised and the poor of their rights and enslave them again,' he posted on X. Congress MP Jairam Ramesh accused the RSS of never accepting the Constitution. 'The RSS has NEVER accepted the Constitution of India... The RSS and the BJP have repeatedly given the call for a new Constitution. This was Mr Modi's campaign cry during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections,' he posted on X.
New Indian Express
10 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Opposition livid with Hosabale remark on Preamble
NEW DELHI: Several Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, denounced on Friday RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale's call to review the words 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Constitution's Preamble, terming it a 'deliberate assault' on the soul of the Constitution. Lashing out at the BJP and RSS, Rahul said the RSS preference for the 'Manusmriti' over the Constitution has been exposed once again. The response came after the RSS leader proposed reviewing the two words on Thursday, saying they were included during the Emergency and were never part of the Constitution drafted by B R Ambedkar. 'The RSS and 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,' Rahul asserted, adding, 'The RSS should stop dreaming this dream – we will never let it succeed. Every patriotic Indian will defend the Constitution until their last breath.'
Hans India
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
RSS mask comes off; it wants ‘Manusmriti': Rahul
Demanding an apology from the Congress for imposing the Emergency, he said, 'Those who did such things are today moving around with the Constitution's copy. They have still not apologised. Your ancestors did it. You must apologise for this to the country,' he said in his remarks aimed at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Recalling the days of the Emergency, the RSS leader said while thousands of people were put in jail and tortured during that period, freedom of the judiciary and media was also curtailed. 'The days of the Emergency also witnessed large-scale forced sterilisation,' Hosabale added. Speaking to a news agency on Friday, Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC backed the RSS leader's remarks, stating: 'He is absolutely right. The words 'socialist' and 'secular' were not part of the original Preamble of the Constitution drafted by BR Ambedkar. These were added during the Emergency in 1975, when then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi introduced the 42nd Constitutional Amendment. This raises a question—why highlight only these two terms when India is already a sovereign, democratic republic?' She added that the Congress should apologise for the Emergency era amendments, saying: 'Shiv Sena demands that the Congress party apologise publicly for the Emergency. These terms were not in the original draft, and they should be removed.' On the other hand, Congress leader Tariq Anwar condemned Hosabale's remarks, saying: 'There's a clear scent of communalism in his statement. India is secular by nature and by history. The Constitution guarantees the right to equality, the right to vote, and the right to practice one's religion. As for socialism, it aims to reduce inequality. We are striving to create a just society, and the term 'socialism' symbolises that effort.' RJD leader Shakti Singh Yadav also slammed the RSS, accusing it of repeatedly attempting to undermine the Constitution's foundational principles. 'The RSS has always wanted to change the Constitution. The BJP is merely the political face of the RSS, and after coming to power, they are trying to implement the RSS's ideology. Narendra Modi is not just the Prime Minister of India; he represents the RSS's mission. Their agenda to remove socialism and secularism will not be accepted by the people.'
Economic Times
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Economic Times
Rahul Gandhi slams RSS, says Constitution irks Sangh
Following RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale's comments on the Constitution, Rahul Gandhi accused the Sangh of targeting it, alleging a desire to replace it with Manusmriti. Other Congress leaders, including KC Venugopal and Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, echoed these sentiments, asserting their commitment to defending the Constitution's values of secularism, social justice, and democracy against any attempts to weaken or rewrite it. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads New Delhi: After RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale 's comment on the Constitution , Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hit out at the Sangh, accusing it of targetting the Constitution. "The mask of RSS has come off Constitution irks them because it speaks of equality, secularism , and justice. RSS-BJP doesn't want the Constitution; they want Manusmriti . They aim to strip the marginalized and the poor of their rights and enslave them again. Snatching a powerful weapon like the Constitution from them is their real agenda", Gandhi alleged in a social media post."RSS should stop dreaming this dream - we will never let them succeed. Every patriotic Indian will defend the Constitution until their last breath", he general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal said Hosabale's remarks were reflective of the RSS-BJP's "opposition" to the Constitution and asserted that "we will never let them succeed in this mission" and will defend the Constitution. Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said the Congress party will stand like a rock against attempts to weaken or rewrite the Constitution while slamming RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale's criticism of inclusion of the words "socialist" and "secularism" in the Constitution . "Now they are back to their old playbook," the CM said in a statement, in a scathing attack on the RSS. "We will defend its (Constitution's) values - secularism, social justice , and democracy - with full strength and conviction."
Time of India
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Rahul Gandhi slams RSS, says Constitution irks Sangh
New Delhi: After RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale 's comment on the Constitution, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hit out at the Sangh, accusing it of targetting the Constitution. "The mask of RSS has come off Constitution irks them because it speaks of equality, secularism , and justice. RSS-BJP doesn't want the Constitution; they want Manusmriti . They aim to strip the marginalized and the poor of their rights and enslave them again. Snatching a powerful weapon like the Constitution from them is their real agenda", Gandhi alleged in a social media post. "RSS should stop dreaming this dream - we will never let them succeed. Every patriotic Indian will defend the Constitution until their last breath", he added. AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal said Hosabale's remarks were reflective of the RSS-BJP's "opposition" to the Constitution and asserted that "we will never let them succeed in this mission" and will defend the Constitution. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Bayan Lepas: Unsold Furniture Liquidation 2024 (Prices May Surprise You) Unsold Furniture | Search Ads Learn More Undo Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said the Congress party will stand like a rock against attempts to weaken or rewrite the Constitution while slamming RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale's criticism of inclusion of the words "socialist" and "secularism" in the Constitution . "Now they are back to their old playbook," the CM said in a statement, in a scathing attack on the RSS. "We will defend its (Constitution's) values - secularism, social justice , and democracy - with full strength and conviction."
