Sangh backs Hosable amid row over calls to review Preamble

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Thursday doubled down on its general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale’s statement about the need to review the inclusion of words “secular” and “socialist” in the Preamble to the Constitution of India, saying it was critical to take cognisance of the context in which these words were inserted during Emergency.

- Smriti Kak Ramachandran

“What he (Hosabale) said is that it is important to understand the context of how the words were inserted when Emergency was imposed in the country and atrocities and excesses were carried out. He spoke about the things that should be discussed and the need to debate these issues,” RSS chief spokesperson Sunil Ambekar said.

Addressing an event in Delhi on June 26, Hosabale had called for reviewing the insertion of the words “secular and socialist” in the Preamble. “During the Emergency, two words, secular and socialist, were added to the Constitution, which were not part of the original Preamble. Later, these words were not removed. Should they remain or not...a debate must happen on this. These two words were not in Dr Ambedkar’s Consti-