‘They want to change the Constitution’: Priyank Kharge slams RSS over call to drop ‘socialism’, ‘secularism’

BENGALURU: Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Tuesday slammed Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) over their General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale’s statement demanding reconsideration of the terms ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution.

Alleging that the RSS wants to “alter” the Indian Constitution, Kharge said that these are the same people who “staged a protest when the constituent assembly debates were going on and burned the constitution.”

Responding to recent remarks made by Hosabale, the Karnataka Minister said, “Very clearly, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar in his last speech has defined anti-nationals as those who create animosity by bringing in caste, and those people who are going to impede the social, political and economic progress of the country are the real anti-national. Those people who sow the seeds of communal hatred in society are anti-national. So who’s doing that right now?…”

“They want to change the words of the Constitution. They want to change the constitution. This is the narrative they want to bring in… RSS has never been for the constitution. These are the same bunch of people who staged a protest when the constituent assembly debates were going on. They burned the constitution and said that we want the Manusmriti as our constitution. Didn’t they say that? Please ask them to read their magazine, the Organiser’s archives, what they have written on the 26th of January 1950… The answer lies there itself…” he added.

On being asked if Congress is thinking of banning the RSS, Kharge said, “We will see. It’s not the first time they have been banned, right? Didn’t Sardar Patel ban them? Then they went and fell at his feet. They pleaded no, no, we will follow the law of the land. After that, Indira Gandhiji banned it again. They went and said No, we will cooperate. We will abide by the laws of the land. There cannot be one law of the land for the rest of the country and for one organisation like this…”

Earlier on Thursday, addressing a program on the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale remarked that during the Emergency, terms like “Socialism” and “Secularism” were forcibly inserted into the Constitution, a move that needs to be reconsidered today.

He emphasised that the Emergency wasn’t just a misuse of power, but an attempt to crush civil liberties. Millions were imprisoned, and freedom of the press was suppressed. He said that those who imposed the Emergency and trampled the Constitution and democracy have never apologised. If they cannot apologise personally, they should do so on behalf of their ancestors.

Hosabale was speaking at an event held at Dr Ambedkar International Centre, jointly organised by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (under the Ministry of Culture) and Ambedkar International Centre. (ANI)