'Secular' and 'socialist' will remain in Preamble: Government
NEW DELHI: Taking a position different from that of the
RSS
, govt on Thursday said it does not intend to drop 'socialist' and 'secular' from the preamble of the Constitution
'The government has not formally initiated any legal or constitutional process to remove the words 'socialist' and 'secular' from the Preamble of the Constitution.
While there may be discussions or debates in certain public or political circles, no formal decision or proposal has been announced by the government regarding amendments to these terms,' law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal told the Rajya Sabha in a written response.
This runs contrary to the RSS's stand articulated by its secretary general Dattatreya Hosbole that the twin additions to the Preamble made during the Emergency and by a Lok Sabha whose tenure was over should be scrubbed.
This was endorsed by former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar who termed the two insertions as festering sores.
'Regarding the atmosphere created by office bearers of some social organisations, it is possible that certain groups are expressing opinions or advocating for reconsideration of these words. Such activities can create a public discourse or atmosphere around the issue, but this does not necessarily reflect the official stance or actions of the govt,' the minister said, in what could be seen as a reference to the RSS leader's stand.
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Apart from the Emergency when fundamental rights were suspended, almost all the senior opposition leaders jailed and elections postponed, incorporation of 'secular' and 'socialist' in the Preamble have been opposed also because it was done by a Lok Sabha whose five year-tenure had already run out.
The minister said the apex court had clarified that 'socialism' in the Indian context signifies a welfare state and does not impede private sector growth, while 'secularism' is integral to the Constitution's basic structure.
The remarks of both Hosbole and Dhankhar were used by the critics to renew their charge that govt was conspiring to change the Constitution, something that had figured prominently in last year's 2024 polls.
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