Removal of Preamble from NCRT books an attempt to impose RSS ideology: Kharge

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge charged that the omission of the Preamble to the Indian Constitution from certain National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks was an attempt to impose the communal ideology of the RSS and BJP.

Kharge lashed out at the Central government in the Rajya Sabha, suggesting that the absence of the Preamble from some textbooks was a deliberate attempt to undermine the foundational principles of the Indian Constitution.

The controversy began when Kharge raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha, asserting that the Preamble, which he described as the essence of the Constitution, had been inconsistently included across various NCERT textbooks.

According to reports, while the Preamble remains present in some textbooks, such as those for class six Science and Hindi, it is conspicuously missing from others, including the class six Social Science book and several textbooks for class three. This discrepancy, Kharge argued, could be seen as an attempt to dilute the core democratic values enshrined in the Constitution.

In response, Leader of the House J.P. Nadda countered Kharge's allegations, emphasizing that the BJP government had no intention of altering the Preamble or the Constitution. Nadda criticized the reliance on newspaper reports as sources for such serious claims, insisting that only original textbooks should be referenced. He asserted that the Modi government had a strong record of upholding the Constitution and committed to preserving it in its entirety. Nadda also took the opportunity to remind the House of the Congress Party's history, specifically citing the imposition of the Emergency during Indira Gandhi's tenure, which he claimed had attacked the Constitution more significantly than any recent actions by the current government.

The discussion became particularly contentious when Kharge linked the alleged textbook changes to broader political and ideological shifts, accusing the BJP of attempting to reshape the nation's educational framework to reflect RSS-BJP ideology.

He expressed concerns that these changes were part of a broader agenda to alter India's democratic values. This assertion sparked protests from the treasury benches, prompting Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar to intervene and caution Kharge against deviating from the main subject of the discussion.

Dhankhar, in his intervention, indicated that he would review the content of Kharge’s statements to determine what should be omitted. He also underscored the collective commitment of all members to the Constitution and suggested that any perceptions to the contrary could undermine this shared commitment.

The debate saw additional remarks from Nadda, who defended the current government's record on constitutional matters, highlighting the celebratory observance of Constitution Day and Samvidhan Diwas initiated by the Modi administration. He also pointed to the historical resilience of the RSS, despite past attempts to ban it by Congress-led governments, framing it as a testament to its nationalistic commitment.

In a final note, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan labelled the allegations as baseless, reinforcing the position of the government that the Preamble and other constitutional elements remain protected and integral to the NCERT curriculum.