Vice President Dhankhar Enters Debate on Secularism and Socialism: Calls Them ‘Festering Wounds’ and an ‘Insult to Sanatan’
The tone and choice of words — calling it a “nasur” (festering wound) — do not reflect respect for the Constitution itself.
Townhall Times Correspondent
A fresh debate has erupted in India over the words “Socialist” and “Secular” included in the Preamble to the Constitution. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has now openly stepped into this debate, describing the insertion of these words during the Emergency as a “festering wound” and an “insult to Sanatan” values.
Speaking at an event at the Vice President’s Enclave in Delhi on Saturday, June 28, Dhankhar asserted that the Preamble cannot be altered as it represents the soul of the Constitution. Yet, according to him, the 42nd Constitutional Amendment in 1976 did precisely that. “The Preamble is the foundation on which the entire Constitution rests, and adding words like Socialist, Secular, and Integrity was a betrayal of the original intent of the Constitution’s framers,” he said.
Dhankhar further emphasized, “The Preamble cannot be changed. It is the seed from which the Constitution has grown. But in 1976, this very Preamble was changed for India, which created a stir.”
Vice President Dhankhar Enters Debate on Secularism and Socialism: Calls Them ‘Festering Wounds’ and an ‘Insult to Sanatan’
Vice President Dhankhar Enters Debate on Secularism and Socialism: Calls Them ‘Festering Wounds’ and an ‘Insult to Sanatan’
It is notable that during the Emergency in 1976, the words “Socialist” and “Secular” were added to the Preamble. While these words were not explicitly part of the initial draft, many experts believe that the values they embody were inherently present in the Constitution from the very beginning.
Reacting sharply to the Vice President’s remarks, Congress leader Udit Raj posted on X:
“They can’t say the real thing. What they want to say is that the rights of Dalits, backward classes, women, and minorities are the real festering wounds. But it’s about getting votes. So they hide behind the words ‘Socialist’ and ‘Secular’ added to the Preamble. Given a chance, the RSS and BJP will snatch away all these rights.”
Following Dhankhar’s statement, the political debate on this issue has further intensified. While some critics see it as an attack on the soul of the Constitution, others defend it as an attempt to protect what they call the “original intent” of the framers of the Constitution.
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