Debate Ignites Over 'Secular' Term in Indian Constitution

In a recent development, Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati has backed RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale's call for reevaluating the inclusion of 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Indian Constitution's Preamble. Swami Avimukteshwaranand argued that the term 'secular' was not part of the original document and misaligns with its ethos.

Swami Avimukteshwaranand emphasized that secularism's entry into the Constitution happens without public discourse and aligns poorly with the core values of Indian democracy. Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a strong attack on RSS, accusing it of seeking to replace the Constitution with Manusmriti to oppress marginalized communities.

Hosabale's comments came while addressing an event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, where he criticized the forced insertion of these terms in the Constitution. He highlighted the Emergency as a period of civil liberties' repression and urged those responsible or their descendants to apologize for historical wrongs.

(With inputs from agencies.)