Dimapur: The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) decried the alleged removal of the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ from the preamble of the Constitution.
The Pradesh Congress communication department issued a statement on Saturday after the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP)-BJP coalition government in Nagaland issued a circular on November 24 directing all the departments in the state to celebrate Constitution Day on November 26 by reciting the preamble of the Constitution.
It noted that though a laudable initiative on the face of it, a closer inspection revealed the absence of the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ from the preamble written on the circular, unmasking the proverbial devil in the details.
“This is expectedly in line with the Modi government’s unconstitutionally undertaken backdoor removal of the same words from the preamble in September this year,” the NPCC said.
According to it, for a state like Nagaland which is home to one of the most marginalised religious communities in the country, the removal of these words is particularly significant.
“Despite the constraints of coalition politics, our chief minister ought to have echoed this sentiment, but it is quite sad to note that he has once again timidly capitulated to the majoritarian agendas of his divisive political partner by going with the Modi government’s unconstitutional version of the Constitution,” it said.
Denouncing what it called “persecutive excesses” of the BJP both in the state and at the Centre, the NPCC urged CM Rio to grow a spine and stand tall for his people “for a change”.