Sat Jun 28 11:40:22 UTC 2025: **News Article:**

**Assam CM Calls for Removal of ‘Socialism’ and ‘Secularism’ from Indian Constitution**

Guwahati – Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma sparked controversy on Saturday, June 28, 2025, by publicly advocating for the removal of the words “socialism” and “secularism” from the Preamble of the Indian Constitution. Sarma argued that these concepts are Western imports that do not align with Indian civilization.

“How can I be secular? I am a hardcore Hindu,” Sarma stated, questioning the very applicability of the term within an Indian context. He further elaborated that the Indian concept of secularism is not neutrality, but rather “positively aligned.”

Sarma’s remarks were made at the launch of the book “The Emergency Diaries: Years That Forged a Leader,” which chronicles Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role in the “resistance movement” during the 1975-77 Emergency.

The Chief Minister attributed the inclusion of “socialism” and “secularism” to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and asserted that the Western concept of socialism had already been dismantled by economic reforms initiated by Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao and Finance Minister Manmohan Singh in the early 1990s. He emphasized the importance of discussing the “damages” caused by the Emergency and ensuring such a period of suppressed dissent is never repeated.

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