Ministers call for review of 'socialist, secular' words in preamble
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday said "there is no need for socialism in India", adding "secularism is not the core of our culture".
Chouhan's remarks assume significance as RSS Thursday called for reviewing the words 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Preamble of the Constitution, saying they were included during the Emergency and were never part of the Constitution drafted by B R Ambedkar.
Addressing an event organised at Delhi on 50 years of Emergency, RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said, "The Preamble of the Constitution Baba Saheb Ambedkar made never had these words. During the Emergency, when fundamental rights were suspended, Parliament did not work, the judiciary became lame, then these words were added."
Speaking at a programme held in Varanasi to mark 50 years of Emergency, Chouhan said, "'Bharat mein samajwad kee zaroorat nahi hai...
Dharmanirapeksh hamaaree sanskrti ka mool nahin hai aur issliye is par zaroor vichaar hona chaahiye' (There is no need for socialism in India... 'Secular' is not the core of our culture and hence, this must be deliberated upon)," he said.
In indirect support to RSS' call to review the words "socialist" and "secular" in the Preamble of the Constitution, Union minister Jitendra Singh on Friday also said any right-thinking citizen will endorse it because everybody knows that these words were not part of the original Constitution written by Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar.
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed Saturday that 'socialism' and 'secularism' are "western concepts", and these words should be struck off Constitution. "How can I be secular? I am a hardcore Hindu. A Muslim person is a hardcore Muslim person. How can he be secular?" Sarma said.
Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar Saturday said the words inserted in Preamble through an amendment during Emergency era were a 'nasoor' (festering wound).
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