Qalam Times News Network
Date: 27 June 2025
New Delhi – Marking the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale reignited a long-standing constitutional debate, calling for serious reconsideration over the continued presence of the terms ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution. These terms, he emphasized, were not part of the original document adopted in 1950 but were inserted during the Emergency declared by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975.
Speaking at a public event in the capital, Hosabale lambasted the Congress for the 21-month-long Emergency — a period that saw suspension of civil rights, widespread censorship, mass incarcerations, and what he termed as an “unforgivable betrayal” of constitutional values.
Without directly naming anyone initially, the RSS functionary criticized the current Congress leadership for brandishing the Constitution in public forums while, in his view, failing to acknowledge or apologize for its “violation” by their political predecessors. Directing his comments towards Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Hosabale said, “Your forebears trampled democracy — the least you can do is acknowledge and apologise.”
Hosabale also invoked the suppression of judiciary and the press during the Emergency, highlighting how both institutions were placed under tight control. He made particular mention of the coercive sterilization drives conducted during that time, which remain among the most controversial aspects of the era.
His comments coincided with a nationwide observation led by the BJP government on June 25, which it marked as ‘Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas’ (Constitution Murder Day). The occasion was meant to honor those who, according to the government, bore immense personal suffering in their stand against the authoritarian rule of the Emergency era.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a series of posts on social media, also reflected on the 1975-77 period, calling it one of the darkest phases in the history of India’s democracy. He accused the then-Congress regime of silencing Parliament, manipulating the judiciary, and jailing opposition voices en masse.
The terms ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ were incorporated into the Preamble through the 42nd Constitutional Amendment during the Emergency. Ever since, their inclusion has been a subject of debate among constitutional scholars and political thinkers, with critics arguing that such ideological terms may distort the neutrality of the Constitution.
With the golden jubilee of the Emergency bringing renewed attention to its legacy, Hosabale’s pointed remarks have once again brought these constitutional questions to the forefront of national discourse.
© Qalam Times News Network
