Haveri (Karnataka)

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has claimed that the words 'socialist' and 'secular' were rejected in the original Constitution by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar.

Speaking to ANI, Joshi on Saturday said, "The words 'socialist' and 'secular' were rejected in the original Constitution by no less than Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar himself. We respect the Constitution given by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar."

The remarks came after RSS general secretary Hosabale suggested reconsidering the inclusion of the terms "socialist" and "secular" in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution.

Hosabale was addressing an event on the 50th anniversary of the emergency, held at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre, jointly organised by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (under the Ministry of Culture) and the Ambedkar International Centre.

Speaking at the event, 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 remarked that during the emergency, terms like "socialist" and "secular" were forcibly inserted into the Constitution - a move that needs to be reconsidered.

Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi came down heavily on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), saying that it doesn't want the Constitution but the Manusmriti.

Intensifying his attack, Gandhi said that RSS intended to violate the rights of the marginalised and the poor while enslaving them. "The mask of RSS has come off again," he added.

"RSS-BJP doesn't want the Constitution. They want Manusmriti. They aim to strip the marginalised and the poor of their rights and enslave them again. Snatching a powerful weapon like the Constitution from them is their real agenda," the Congress leader posted on X.

"The Constitution irks them because it speaks of equality, secularism, and justice," he added.

Gandhi asserted that Congress would resist the dreams of RSS to "snatch" the constitution from the marginalised and the poor.

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"RSS should stop dreaming this dream - we will never let them succeed. Every patriotic Indian will defend the Constitution until their last breath," he said.