Varanasi: Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai on Monday slammed Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) over their General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale's statement demanding reconsideration of the terms 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution.
Speaking to ANI, Rai said, "The organisation which did not hoist the tricolour for 52 years at their headquarters, did not give importance to the tricolour, is doing a Tiranga Yatra now. RSS is helping the government in twisting the narratives."
"This nation belongs to all, secularism belongs to all. They want to change it so they say such things," he added.
Earlier on Thursday, addressing a program on the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale remarked that during the Emergency, terms like "Socialism" and "Secularism" were forcibly inserted into the Constitution, a move that needs to be reconsidered today.
He emphasised that the Emergency wasn't just a misuse of power, but an attempt to crush civil liberties. Millions were imprisoned, and freedom of the press was suppressed. He said that those who imposed the Emergency and trampled the Constitution and democracy have never apologised. If they cannot apologise personally, they should do so on behalf of their ancestors.
Hosabale was speaking at an event held at Dr Ambedkar International Centre, jointly organised by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (under the Ministry of Culture), Ambedkar International Centre.
The Congress leader also attacked the BJP government in UP over the lack of development in Varanasi and the name plate controversy during the Kanwar Yatra last year.
"The Yogi government has not done any development work. Varanasi is the Prime Minister's constituency, but no factories, schools, or universities have opened here. The government uses these tactics to hide its failures. The Yogi government is twisting the words and confusing the public. Kanwar yatra has happened before, but it was not emphasised earlier. The government deliberately want to emphasise that and is giving it a communal colour," Rai told ANI.
Last year, the UP government issued a directive requiring shop owners to display their names during the Kanwar Yatra, but the Supreme Court subsequently put a stay on the order.
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