‘Secularism’ and ‘socialism’ not part of Preamble drafted by Ambedkar, must be reviewed: RSS

Noting that ‘secularism’ and ‘socialism’ were not part of the Preamble of the Constitution as drafted by B.R. Ambedkar, Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale on Thursday (June 26, 2025) called for the later inclusion of these terms to be reviewed.

Mr. Hosabale was speaking at an event to mark the 50th year since the Emergency, at which he also asked the Congress party to apologise to the nation for the ‘draconian act’.

Discussing the “several injustices” propagated against the people during the Emergency by the Congress government of that time, the RSS leader said that over one lakh people were sent to jail, including 250 journalists. The government of that time violated fundamental rights in multiple ways including the forceful sterilisation of over 60 lakh people, he added.

‘Is socialism eternal for India?’

“Freedom of judiciary was also curtailed… but one more thing. Two words — that are, secularism and socialism — were added in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution during the Emergency. These two words were not there in the Preamble before. Preamble is eternal to the nation, but are the views and values of socialism, in terms of ideology, eternal for India?” he asked.

The word ‘secularism’ was not originally in the Indian Constitution, he emphasised. “Yes, the ideas of secularism may have existed, they may have been part of governance and state policy — that’s a different matter. But should these two words remain in the Preamble? This is something that deserves a review,” he said.

Added during Emergency

Mr Hosabale cautioned the audience that, when the Constitution is discussed at present, it is not just about Ambedkar’s Constitution, but also includes later additions.

“Because I know — and I’m saying this while standing in the building named after Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, the architect of our Constitution —that these words were not included by him. These words were added during the Emergency when citizens’ rights were suspended, when Parliament was ineffective, when the judiciary was crippled. At that time, this was inserted,” he said.

Mocking Congress leader Rahul Gandhi without naming him, Mr. Hosabale said that it was his ancestors who had shattered the Constitution, but now he protests in the Parliament with copies of the same Constitution in his hand.