Vice President Dhankhar Slams Congress, Calls Preamble Changes ‘Sacrilege’ to Sanatana Spirit

New Delhi, June 29, 2025 : Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar has launched a scathing attack on the Congress for adding the words “socialist,” “secular,” and “integrity” to the Preamble of the Constitution during the Emergency, labelling the move a “travesty of justice” and a “sacrilege to the spirit of Sanatana.”

Echoing the sentiments of RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, Dhankhar said these amendments, made through the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1976, were akin to a “nasoor” (festering wound) and posed “existential challenges.” He urged the nation to reflect on the original intent of the Constitution’s framers.

Speaking at a book launch in Delhi, Dhankhar described the Preamble as the “soul of the Constitution” and insisted it is neither changeable nor alterable. “The Preamble is not changeable or alterable. It is the basis on which the Constitution has grown. The Preamble is the seed of the Constitution. It is the soul of the Constitution,” he said.

An editorial in Organiser, a magazine affiliated with the RSS, supported the Vice-President’s call for a review, asserting that the aim was not to dismantle the Constitution but to restore its “original spirit,” free from what it termed as “distortions” introduced during the Congress-led Emergency.

“The changes are nothing but belittling the civilisational wealth and knowledge of this country for thousands of years. It is a sacrilege of the spirit of Sanatan,” Dhankhar said.

He further praised Dr. B. R. Ambedkar for his tireless efforts in drafting the Constitution and the Preamble, arguing that the government of the time should have focused on governance rather than altering foundational texts.

Dhankhar’s remarks came shortly after Hosabale called for a national debate on whether “socialist” and “secular” should remain in the Preamble. Hosabale contended these terms were absent from the Constitution as originally drafted by Ambedkar and were inserted during the Emergency between 1975 and 1977.

Referring to the 42nd Amendment, Hosabale said the insertion of the terms was carried out “casually, farcically, and with no sense of propriety,” at a time when several opposition leaders were jailed under Emergency rule.

Source: India Today