The RSS on Thursday called for reviewing the words socialist and secular in the preamble of the Constitution saying they were included during the Emergency and were never part of the Constitution drafted by B R Ambedkar.
Addressing an event here organised on the Emergency RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said ldquoThe preamble of the Constitution Baba Saheb Ambedkar made never had these words. During the Emergency when fundamental rights were suspended Parliament did not work judiciary became lame then these words were added.quot
He said discussions were held on this issue later but no effort was made to remove them from the preamble. ldquoSo whether they should remain in the preamble should be consideredrdquo he added.
quotThe preamble is eternal. Are the thoughts of socialism as an ideology eternal for India?quot Hosabale said. The suggestion from the RSS second senior most functionary to consider removing the two terms came as he hit out at the Congress for its Emergency era excesses and demanded an apology from the party.
Recalling the days of Emergency which was announced by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on June 25 1975 Hosabale said while thousands of people were put in jail and tortured during that period freedom of the judiciary and media was also curtailed.
The days of Emergency also witnessed large-scale forced sterilisation the RSS leader said.
quotThose who did such things are today roaming around with the Constitutions copy. They have still not apologised… Apologisequot he said.
quotYour ancestors did it… You must apologise for this to the countryquot Hosabale said.
Addressing the event Union minister Nitin Gadkari slammed the Congress over imposition of Emergency by the Indira Gandhi government 50 years ago and said the cycle of atrocities committed during 21-months of the Emergency by the erstwhile Congress dispensation can never be forgotten.
ldquoTo save her kursi and suppress the voice of people then prime minister Indira Gandhi announced the imposition of Emergency on June 25 1975 crushing the spirit of the Constitutionrdquo he said.
Gadkari said the Constitution was ldquoripped to shredsrdquo as several amendments were made in it during the period of Emergency.
ldquoCongress leaders campaigned against us alleging that we will change the Constitution. We neither ever talked about changing the Constitution nor did we have any desire to do so. If anyone committed the biggest sin of violating the Constitution it was the Congress under the leadership of Indira Gandhirdquo he charged.
All those who opposed the Emergency including Atal Bihari Vajpayee L K Advani George Fernandes and other leaders of the opposition parties were put in jail he said adding the RSS was also targeted and a large number of those associated with it were arrested and subjected to torture.