The Karnataka Unit of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) Legal Cell has lodged a formal complaint against Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale following his remarks about reconsidering the inclusion of the terms "socialist" and "secular" in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution. The complaint was filed at the Sheshadripuram Police Station.
Hosabale made the remarks on June 26, 2025, at a public gathering commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Emergency. He stated that the words "socialist" and "secular" were not part of the original Constitution drafted by B.R. Ambedkar and were forcibly inserted during the Emergency through the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1976. He further added that a serious national debate is needed on whether these terms are in sync with India's cultural and democratic ethos.
The IYC's complaint accuses Hosabale of making "unconstitutional, inflammatory, and divisive" comments and demands legal action. Sridhar, the Chairman of the Legal Cell, stated that Hosabale's remarks, made at a politically sensitive event by a high-ranking ideologue, are not just an ideological commentary and that such attempts to erode constitutional values must be treated with utmost seriousness. The complaint emphasizes that no one is above the Constitution and any public advocacy of unconstitutional means will face due process of law.
The remarks have triggered a political storm, with opposition parties and civil society organizations condemning what they termed as a "direct assault on the Constitution". Congress leader Jairam Ramesh called it a "blatant move to undermine secular democracy" and said the RSS wants to replace the Constitution with Manusmriti. Rahul Gandhi stated that the "RSS mask" has come off and that the Constitution troubles them because it speaks of equality, secularism, and justice. He added that the RSS and BJP want to strip the marginalized and the poor of their rights and enslave them again, and that every patriotic Indian will defend the Constitution until their last breath. CPI(M) General Secretary D. Raja said RSS wants India to be declared a theocratic nation, which is why it reiterates the need to redefine the Indian nation and rewrite history. RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav called the RSS a "casteist" organization. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan termed the RSS push as a "communal agenda" and a "direct threat to India's democratic soul".
In contrast, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma supported Hosabale's statement, calling the inclusion of "secular" and "socialist" a mistake rooted in "Western ideologies". The RSS-affiliated weekly 'Organiser' defended Hosabale's statement, saying it was about restoring the original spirit of the Constitution and not about subverting democracy, arguing that the inclusion of the terms during the Emergency was undemocratic and warrants honest public discourse. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi stated that fifty percent of the Constitution changed after Indira Gandhi imposed the Emergency.
The debate over the inclusion of "socialist" and "secular" in the Preamble is not new. Multiple legal challenges have been filed over the years against their inclusion. However, in November 2024, the Supreme Court upheld their validity, stating that India has developed its own interpretation of secularism, wherein the State neither supports any religion nor penalizes the profession and practice of any faith. The court also held that socialism in the Indian context refers to the principle of economic and social justice, wherein the State ensures that no citizen is disadvantaged due to economic or social circumstances.
