NEW DELHI: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday described the inclusion of the words “socialist” and “secular” into the Constitution’s Preamble during the Emergency as a nasoor (a festering wound) and “a sacrilege to the spirit of Sanatana.”

His remarks followed a similar call by RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale on Thursday, who demanded the removal of the two terms, claiming they were “forcibly” inserted during the Emergency and were not part of the Constitution originally drafted by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. Hosabale’s comments had drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties.

Speaking at the Vice-President’s Enclave during the release of the book Ambedkar’s Messages compiled by D.S. Veeraiah, Dhankhar said, “The Preamble of any constitution is its soul. The Preamble of the Indian Constitution is unique. Except for Bharat, no other Constitution’s Preamble has undergone change. The Preamble is not changeable. The Preamble is not alterable. The Preamble is the basis on which the Constitution has grown.”

Reiterating his point, Dhankhar said, “The Preamble is the seed of the Constitution. It is the soul of the Constitution. But this Preamble for Bharat was changed by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1976, adding the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular.'”