Reject RSS views on Constitution, CM Siddaramaiah tells PM Modi

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah called upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reject the views of RSS ideologues on the constitution.

He made the remarks in relation to Modi’s comment that even chairman of the drafting committee of the Indian constitution, the late BR Ambedkar, would not be able to abolish the constitution in its current form.

Siddaramaiah also garlanded a bust of Ambedkar in the premises of the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Sunday on the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti. Ambedkar Jayanti falls on April 14.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated ‘even Ambedkar cannot abolish the Constitution now.’ What he should have said instead is: It is not possible to change the Constitution, even if any RSS leader claims otherwise,” Siddaramaiah said.

“Mr Narendra Modi, the threat to the Constitution does not come from Baba Saheb Ambedkar or his followers. Rather, the real danger lies with your parent organisation - the RSS, and its leaders. History bears witness to this fact. It was Baba Saheb Ambedkar himself who taught us the importance of remembering history,” he added.

The CM then went on to quote the editorial of the RSS mouthpiece Organiser’s criticism of the constitution, besides the views of Hindutva ideologues like VD Savarkar, Golwalkar and the like, who wanted the constitution to accommodate the teachings of shastras.

“Vinayak Damodar Savarkar had said ‘Manusmriti is that scripture which is most worship-able after Vedas for our Hindu Nation and which from ancient times has become the basis of our culture-customs, thought and practice. This book for centuries has codified the spiritual and divine march of our nation. Even today the rules which are followed by crores of Hindus in their lives and practice are based on Manusmriti. Today Manusmriti is Hindu Law,” Siddaramaiah said, quoting Savarkar.