Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale has demanded that there be a public discussion on removing the words "Secular" and "Socialist" from the Preamble of the Indian Constitution, stating that they were included in 1976 during the Emergency and not part of the initial draft.
Addressing a function to mark 50 years of the Emergency, Hosabale said, "These two terms – Secular and Socialist – were added to the Constitution when the nation was under Emergency. There was no functioning Parliament then, the fundamental rights were suspended and even the judiciary was made ineffective."
"These words were never part of the original Preamble of Dr Ambedkar," he added, indicating that it was perhaps the time to revisit their inclusion in the Constitution. "They were included through an improper debate and discussion process. Whether they must remain or be eliminated needs to be considered."
The Emergency, proclaimed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975, had resulted in mass arrests of opposition party leaders, journalists, and civil society activists. More than one lakh individuals were arrested, and large-scale violations of human rights were witnessed, including forced sterilization and censorship.
Taking no names, Hosabale also targeted the Congress party leadership and its top brass, suggesting hypocrisy in their present spate of rhetoric on constitutional principles.
“Today, the very people responsible for curbing democracy and rights during Emergency are walking around holding copies of the Constitution,” he said. “They have never once apologised to the people of India for what they did.”
He also added, "You incarcerated more than one lakh citizens, jailed over 250 journalists, pulled out basic rights, and even destroyed the judiciary's independence. Has anyone accepted responsibility? Even if your great-grandparents did all this, shouldn't you apologize on their behalf?"
The BJP has proclaimed June 25—the day of the imposition of Emergency—as Samvidhan Hatya Divas (Murder of the Constitution Day), politically stirring up the Congress again.
Senior BJP leaders, party president JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, sharply criticized the Congress for undermining democracy in 1975–77 Emergency.
The Congress, for their part, struck back forcefully. Party chief Mallikarjun Kharge stated, "Those who contributed nothing to the freedom struggle or to the Constitution-making process are now behaving like its saviours."
He also stated, "Prime Minister Modi keeps bringing up past events that India has already left behind. This is being done to distract from current issues."
Commemorative Events Across India
Apart from events held by BJP-led governments in different states, the Union Cabinet approved a resolution paying tribute to the people who struggled against the Emergency. Ministers also took a two-minute silence to remember the sacrifices citizens had made during that period.
The new interest in Emergency-era politics coincides with both the BJP and Congress gearing up for significant electoral wars, with the past once more being wielded as a weapon in the current political sphere.
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