RSS seeks removal of 'Socialist' and 'Secular' from Constitution Preamble; Congress hits back

A political row has erupted after Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale called for the removal of the words “socialist” and “secular” from the Preamble of the Indian Constitution.

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Speaking at an event in Delhi, Hosabale argued that the inclusion of these terms during the Emergency in 1976 was undemocratic and demanded that the Congress apologize for imposing the Emergency. He claimed thousands were jailed, the judiciary and media silenced, and citizens subjected to forced sterilizations during that period. “Those who committed these acts now walk around holding copies of the Constitution,” he said, accusing Congress leaders of hypocrisy and demanding a public apology.

The Congress strongly opposed Hosabale’s remarks. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah condemned the statement in a series of tweets, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clarify his stance, given the RSS's ideological influence on the ruling BJP. “This is a serious matter. The Prime Minister must break his silence on behalf of 140 crore Indians,” he said.

ಸಂವಿಧಾನದ ಪೀಠಿಕೆಯಿಂದ ‘’ಸಮಾಜವಾದಿ’’ ಮತ್ತು "ಜಾತ್ಯತೀತ" ಪದಗಳನ್ನು ಕಿತ್ತುಹಾಕಬೇಕೆಂದು ಆರ್ ಎಸ್ ಎಸ್ ಪ್ರಧಾನ ಕಾರ್ಯದರ್ಶಿ ದತ್ತಾತ್ರೇಯ ಹೊಸಬಾಳೆ ಹೇಳಿರುವುದು ಗಂಭೀರವಾಗಿ ಚರ್ಚೆ ನಡೆಯಬೇಕಾಗಿರುವ ಸಂಗತಿ. ಆಡಳಿತಾರೂಢ ಬಿಜೆಪಿಯ ‘’ಹೈಕಮಾಂಡ್" ನಿಂದಲೇ ಈ ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯ ವ್ಯಕ್ತವಾಗಿರುವುದರಿಂದ ಪ್ರಧಾನಿ @narendramodi ಅವರು ಈ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ತಮ್ಮ…

— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah)

ಸಂವಿಧಾನದ ಪೀಠಿಕೆಯಿಂದ ‘’ಸಮಾಜವಾದಿ’’ ಮತ್ತು "ಜಾತ್ಯತೀತ" ಪದಗಳನ್ನು ಕಿತ್ತುಹಾಕಬೇಕೆಂದು ಆರ್ ಎಸ್ ಎಸ್ ಪ್ರಧಾನ ಕಾರ್ಯದರ್ಶಿ ದತ್ತಾತ್ರೇಯ ಹೊಸಬಾಳೆ ಹೇಳಿರುವುದು ಗಂಭೀರವಾಗಿ ಚರ್ಚೆ ನಡೆಯಬೇಕಾಗಿರುವ ಸಂಗತಿ. ಆಡಳಿತಾರೂಢ ಬಿಜೆಪಿಯ ‘’ಹೈಕಮಾಂಡ್" ನಿಂದಲೇ ಈ ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯ ವ್ಯಕ್ತವಾಗಿರುವುದರಿಂದ ಪ್ರಧಾನಿ @narendramodi ಅವರು ಈ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ತಮ್ಮ…

— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) June 27, 2025

">June 27, 2025

Congress leader B.K. Hariprasad also slammed the statement, calling it an attack on the constitutional ethos.

The contentious remarks have reignited debate over the Constitution’s core values, sparking a fresh confrontation between the RSS-BJP camp and the opposition Congress. As political temperatures rise, the demand has once again spotlighted the legacy of the Emergency and the ideological divide over India’s constitutional identity.