Left parties hit out at RSS for call to review 'socialist', 'secular' in Preamble

The Left parties on Friday denounced RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale's call to review the words 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Preamble of the Constitution of India, saying these “basic tenets” of the Constitution reflect the values for which freedom fighters sacrificed their lives.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) alleged that this proposal by the RSS exposes its “long-standing objective of subverting the Constitution and its intent to transform India into a Hindu Rashtra”.

Hosabale, while addressing an event on the Emergency, had said on Thursday 26 June, that “the Preamble of the Constitution that Baba Saheb Ambedkar made never had these words.”

The CPI(M) Politburo said the inclusion of the words 'socialism' and 'secularism' in the Preamble was not an arbitrary addition. “The CPI(M) firmly opposes any attempt to alter the core values enshrined in our Constitution. We appeal to the people to remain vigilant and resolutely resist all such efforts by the RSS and its protégé BJP.”

CPI general secretary D Raja said, “Including secularism, socialism is in tune with the basic tenets of the Constitution. The Supreme Court has also validated this. When Ambedkar was drafting the Constitution, he made it clear that India should never become a theocratic nation and should remain a secular nation, and a democratic republic."

Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, said in a statement that the RSS's second senior-most functionary's remark stems “from the Sangh-BJP design to change the Constitution and strip it of its democratic content”.

“Even after the Supreme Court rejected petitions demanding dropping the epithets 'socialist' and 'secular' from the Preamble to the Constitution of India, the RSS has reiterated the demand,” he said.

Other political leaders too denounced Hosabale’s remarks. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the mask of the RSS has come off again as they want 'Manusmriti'. "The Constitution irks them because it speaks of equality, secularism, and justice," he said in a post in Hindi on X.

"The RSS-BJP doesn't want the Constitution; they want 'Manusmriti'. They aim to strip the marginalized and the poor of their rights and enslave them again. Snatching a powerful weapon like the Constitution from them is their real agenda," he alleged.

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Hosabale's call is a "brazen attempt to dismantle the core ideals of our Republic".

RJD president Lalu Prasad, who claimed that social justice and communal harmony are his guiding principles, voiced his anguish on X by terming the RSS a "casteist" outfit.

The RJD supremo also said, "They do not have the guts to cast an evil eye on the Constitution and reservations provided therein. Why are people with an unjust character so full of hatred for democracy and Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution?"

Party MP Manoj Kumar Jha said, "Perhaps he (Hosabale) hasn't read it; I would advise him to seriously read the Constituent Assembly debates. Socialism and secularism were integral parts of our Constitution."