‘Mask of RSS has come off, they want Manusmriti’: Rahul Gandhi slams Dattatreya Hosabale's remark

The Congress alleged that the RSS "never accepted" the Constitution and the remark is part of "long-standing conspiracy to dismantle" Ambedkar's vision of India

Published on: Jun 27, 2025, 21:15:45 IST

By Majid Alam

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday launched an attack on the RSS, saying that the mask of the organisation has come off as it wants "Manusmriti" and not the Constitution.

File photo of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. (HT Photo)

Rahul Gandhi's attack comes after RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale on Thursday called for reviewing the words 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Preamble of the Constitution, saying that the terms were included during the Emergency and were never part of the Constitution drafted by BR Ambedkar.

“The mask of RSS has come off again. The Constitution irks them because it speaks of equality, secularism and justice,” the Congress leader said in a post on X.

"The RSS, BJP do not want the Constitution, they want 'Manusmriti'. They aim to strip the marginalised and poor of their rights and enslave them again. Snatching a powerful weapon like the Constitution from them is their real agenda," the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha alleged.

Also Read: RSS leader seeks removal of ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ from Constitution's Preamble

Rahul, however, warned that he would never allow the RSS to succeed, adding that "every patriotic Indian will defend the Constitution until their last breath."

Opposition parties slam RSS leader's remark

Hosabale, while addressing an event on Emergency said, "The Preamble to the Constitution Baba Saheb Ambedkar made never had these words. During Emergency, when fundamental rights were suspended, Parliament did not work, the judiciary became lame, then these words were added."

The RSS general secretary said discussions were held on this issue later, adding that no effort was made to remove those words from the Preamble.

Several opposition parties denounced Hosabale's remarks and called it a "deliberate assault" on the soul of the Constitution.

Also Read: India to host 2029 World Police and Fire Games, Amit Shah calls it a proud moment

The Congress alleged that the RSS has "never accepted" the Constitution and the latest call to review the words 'socialist' and 'secular' is part of a "long-standing conspiracy to dismantle" Babasaheb Ambedkar's vision of India.

The opposition party also said the suggestion by the RSS is a "deliberate assault on the soul of our Constitution".

Several other opposition parties, including RJD, AAP and CPI(M) also alleged that Hosabale's proposal was part of a conspiracy to change the Constitution.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Majid Alam
Majid Alam is a Chief Content Producer working at Hindustan Times, based in New Delhi. He currently heads shifts at online desk and manages homepage apart from writing, editing and curating articles. With over six years of experience in journalism, Majid has navigated national, politics and international news. His work primarily focuses on the politics of the Hindi heartland, government policies, and South Asia. He also writes on US and Europe’s policies vis-à-vis India. Before joining Hindustan Times, Majid worked at ABP LIVE as the Chief Copy Editor and at News18, where he managed the World and Explainers sections. His articles have featured in Dialogue Earth, The Quint, BMJ, The Diplomat, and Outlook India. Majid has a keen interest in the use of data for storytelling. Majid holds a Masters in Convergent Journalism from Jamia Millia Islamia. He was awarded the Erasmus+ scholarship to study International Affairs at Sciences Po, Paris in 2020. He is also part of the OCEANS Network, an alumni network of Erasmus+ exchange scholars. He is currently serving as the National Representative (India) at the OCEANS Network. Apart from journalism, Majid has a flair for academic writing and loves to teach. He has published a book chapter: 'Bombay Cinema and Postmodernism' in the book: 'Handbook of Research on Social and Cultural Dynamics in Indian Cinema.' He was also part of the OCEANS Network delegation to Hanoi National University of Education in Vietnam in 2025. He has also given guest lecture in digital journalism at AJK MCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia.Read More

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