‘Secularism Is European Concept, No Need For It In India’: TN Governor’s Remarks Draw Congress’s Ire

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi sparked a row by stating that secularism is a European concept irrelevant to India. Congress MP Manickam Tagore criticised Ravi's remarks, deeming them unconstitutional.

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi sparked controversy on Sunday after stating that secularism is a "European concept" and irrelevant to India. Speaking at a public event in Kanyakumari, Ravi said, "A lot of frauds have been committed on the people of this country, and one of them is that they have tried to give a wrong interpretation of secularism."

According to news agency IANS, he added, "Secularism is a European concept, and it is not an Indian concept. In Europe, secularism came because there was a fight between the Church and the king... How can India be away from 'dharma'? Secularism is a European concept and let it be there only. In India, there is no need for secularism."

The Tamil Nadu Governor also slammed former prime minister Indira Gandhi for introducing the word "secularism" into the Preamble of the Constitution in 1976. "Twenty-five years later, during the Emergency period, an insecure Prime Minister, in an effort to appease certain sections of people, introduced secularism into the Constitution," he said, as quoted by India Today.

Congress Says Tamil Nadu Governor's Remarks Are 'Against Constitution'

These remarks have drawn sharp criticism from senior Congress leaders P Chidambaram and Manickam Tagore, who took to social media on Monday to express their opposition. 

Former union minister Chidambaram took to X and wrote, " Having draped Tiruvalluvar with a saffron robe, the Governor of Tamil Nadu has now discovered that secularism was an European concept and it has no place in India. He is not correct, but assume he is right. Federalism was also an European concept. Shall we declare that Federalism has no place in India?"

"One person, one vote was also an European concept. Shall we declare that some people will have no right to vote? Democracy was also an European concept not known to India that was ruled by maharajahs and rajas. Shall we declare that democracy will be jettisoned in this country?" he questioned.

"Constitutional functionaries, especially those who hold titular positions, should take a vow of silence," the ex-finance minister remarked.

In a video posted on X (formerly Twitter), Virudhunagar MP Tagore called the Governor's comments "unacceptable" and "against the Constitution of India." He further said, "The statement of Tamil Nadu Governor on secularism is against the Idea of India by Mahatma Gandhi, Baba Saheb Ambedkar, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, and Sardar Vallabhai Patel."

Tagore elaborated on the Indian interpretation of secularism, which he said is based on respect for all religions, traditions, and practices. "While the idea of secularism may be different in foreign countries, in India we respect all other religions, we respect all other traditions, and we respect all other practices, and this is the idea of secularism in India," he wrote.

The Congress MP accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its affiliates of attempting to undermine this principle. He asserted, "The BJP wants to insult other religions and other traditions. The tradition of India is not like that."

Tagore emphasised that India's strength lies in its diversity. "We want to celebrate diversity, we celebrate other religious beliefs, we celebrate other traditions, other languages, and other practices, and that is India’s idea of secularism," he added.

The Congress leader also alleged that the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) aim to alter the Indian Constitution, which is based on the vision of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. "The BJP and RSS were for changing the Indian Constitution, which was based on the thinking of Baba Saheb Ambedkar," he stated, vowing that his party would "never allow that to happen." He accused Governor Ravi of exceeding his constitutional limits by making such statements.