Private Bill introduced in Rajya Sabha to remove the words ‘Socialist’ and ‘Secular’ from the Constitution

Discussion to be held in the next session

New Delhi – BJP Rajya Sabha MP Dr Bhim Singh has introduced two private member bills in the Rajya Sabha. In one bill, he has proposed the formation of a high-level authority under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister for planned urban development. In the second bill, he has demanded the removal of the words ‘Socialist’ and ‘Secular’ from the Constitution of India. Opposition parties strongly objected to this private bill.

Speaking on the matter, Dr Bhim Singh stated :

1. India’s Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949 and came into effect on 26 January 1950. The original Constitution did not contain the words ‘Socialist’ and ‘Secular’. These were added later in 1976 during the Emergency through the 42nd Constitutional Amendment by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, which was completely unnecessary. According to him, Indira Gandhi included these words due to foreign influence and to appease Muslims.

2. The constitution makers had taken a thoughtful decision. It was not that they were unaware of these terms. The inclusion or exclusion of these words in the Preamble was deeply debated, and the conclusion was that their addition was not required. Dr Ambedkar himself had said, “India has followed the principle of equal respect for all religions since ancient times, and secularism is inherent to India’s character.” Regarding the term ‘Socialism’, Dr Ambedkar had stated that we cannot force future generations to adopt any particular economic ideology.

3. There is no necessity to retain the words ‘Socialist’ and ‘Secular’ in the Constitution. When our founding leaders had consciously decided not to include them, adding them later was inappropriate, and keeping them today is equally wrong. Therefore, the bill was introduced to remove these two words, which the House has admitted. A discussion will take place in the next session, and an appropriate decision will be made.