The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee today criticised the NDPP-BJP government over the removal of the words ‘Socialist’ and ‘Secular’ from the Preamble written in a circular.

The government had Issued a circular directing all the departments in the State to celebrate the Constitution Day on November 24 by reciting the Preamble of the Constitution of India.

“A laudable initiative on the face of it, a closer inspection however reveals the absence of the words “Socialist” and “Secular” from the Preamble written on the circular, unmasking the proverbial devil in the details,” stated the press release issued by the Communications Department of NPCC.

The Committee stated that this 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 further accused the Chief Minister on “timidly” capitulating to the majoritarian agendas.

Download Nagaland Tribune app on Google Play

“For a state like ours, which is home to one of the most marginalized religious communities in the country, the removal of these words is particularly significant, and despite the constraints of coalition politics, our honorable Chief Minister ought to have echoed this sentiment, but it’s 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,” asserted the NPCC.

Decrying what it termed as the “persecutive excesses of the BJP” both in the Centre and the State, the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee urged CM Rio “to grow a spine and stand tall for his people, for a change”.