Equality of all religions is the core of Indian culture. Secular is not the core of our culture and hence it should be deliberated upon whether the word secular that was added during the Emergency (in the Preamble of the Constitution
-Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Bhopal: Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s statement calling for removal of ‘secular’ and ‘socialist’ words from the preamble of the Constitution of India seems to have paved the way for the Constitution being a major issue in the run-up to Bihar assembly elections too like Lok Sabha polls held last year.
Bihar assembly elections are to be held in the next four months or so. Election Commission of India (ECI) is yet to announce the dates of the elections.
What made Chouhan’s statement more noticeable is RSS sarkaryavah (general secretary) Dattatreya Hosabale’s statement he made a day earlier in New Delhi calling for a review whether “socialist” and “secular” words should remain in the preamble.
Addressing a press conference in Varanasi, the parliamentary constitution of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to mark 50 years of Emergency promulgated in 1975 at the instance of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Chouhan said in reply to a question, “Sarvdharm sambhav Bharatiya sanskriti ka mool hai. Dharmnirapeksh hamaari sanskriti ka mool nahin hai aur isliye is par zaroor vichaar hona chaahiye ki aapaatkal me jis dharmnirpeksh shabd ko joda gaya use hataya jaaye. (Equality of all religions is the core of Indian culture. Secular is not the core of our culture and hence it should be deliberated upon whether the word secular that was added during the Emergency (in the Preamble of the Constitution) should be dropped).”
Chouhan also said there should be deliberations on the word socialist too whether or not it should be a part of the preamble as this word was also added during the Emergency.
आपातकाल भारतीय लोकतांत्रिक इतिहास का कलंकित अध्याय है। उस दौर की क्रूरता, अन्याय और यातनाएं आज भी दिल को विचलित कर देती हैं।
आपातकाल की 50वीं वर्षगांठ पर वाराणसी में आयोजित प्रदर्शनी का अवलोकन किया। हर चित्र और हर दस्तावेज लोकतंत्र की उस पीड़ा की गवाही दे रहा था जिसे देश ने सहा।… pic.twitter.com/bEizeK2kpj
— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) June 27, 2025
Earlier, on Thursday (June 26) the RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said in New Delhi, “There was a need for a discussion on the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secul.ar’ in the preamble of the Constitution.
He said, “The words socialist and secular were added to the preamble during the Emergency and there was no attempt to remove these words. Hence, there should be a discussion on whether these words should remain (in the preamble).”
Hosabale emphasised that he was saying this in a building (Ambedkar International Centre) which was named after Babasaheb Ambedkar whose Constitution did not have these words in the preamble.
Notably, Constitution was a major issue during Lok Sabha polls held last year (2024) raised by the Opposition while accusing the ruling party of having intention to change the Constitution once it was going to get 400 seats or more.
The BJP had coined a slogan ‘Abki baar 400 paar (This time more than 400 seats)’.
Underlining the statements made by the then BJP candidates in Lok Sabha elections Arun Govil and Lallu Singh and some other BJP leaders including Anant Hegde, Diya Kumari the Opposition parties leaders including Rahul Gandhi repeatedly attacked the BJP in particular during 2014 Lok Sabha polls for, what they said, hatching a conspiracy to change the constitution and, thus, bring to an end to reservation in the Constitution, meant for the scheduled castes and schedules tribes.
Post Lok Sabha polls, several political analysts believed that the Opposition’s campaign against the BJP in particular and NDA in general in context of the Constitution was the reason behind BJP losing its many seats including Ayodhya despite construction of Ram Temple and having a comparatively low tally of 240 seats.
Though the dates of Bihar assembly elections are yet to be announced, the RSS leader Dattatreya Hosbale and union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s statements have already trigged debates and reactions ahead of the elections.
BJP national spokesperson Dr Ajay Alok said on X, “Adding ‘secular’ and ‘socialist’ to the Constitution was a disrespect to Ambedkar and there’s nothing wrong in re-examining the matter.”
Bihar deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary said, “People ousted those people from power who had murdered the constitution. The Congress should answer. RJD should also answer how they are in alliance with the party which murdered the constitution.”
RSS का नक़ाब फिर से उतर गया।
संविधान इन्हें चुभता है क्योंकि वो समानता, धर्मनिरपेक्षता और न्याय की बात करता है।
RSS-BJP को संविधान नहीं, मनुस्मृति चाहिए। ये बहुजनों और ग़रीबों से उनके अधिकार छीनकर उन्हें दोबारा ग़ुलाम बनाना चाहते हैं। संविधान जैसा ताक़तवर हथियार उनसे छीनना इनका…
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 27, 2025
Leader Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said on X, “RSS’s mask has come off again. The Constitution offends them because it talks about equality, secularism and justice.”
He said, “RSS-BJP doesn’t want the Constitution, they want Manusmriti. They want to make the Bahujans and the poor slaves again by snatching their rights from them. Their real agenda is to snatch away a powerful weapon like the Constitution from them.”
He said, “RSS should stop dreaming – we will never let them succeed. Every patriotic Indian will protect the Constitution till his last breath.”
Congress leader PV Mohan said on X, “10 years ago, RSS chief Bhagwat’s call to review the Constitution just before the Bihar assembly election backfired. Now, ahead of polls again, RSS’s Hosabale repeats the mistake by calling for a change in the constitution. Bihar will respond the same way- with a resounding rejection of BJP.”
