(Image source from: “Ambedkar never thought about leaving India”)

As an indirect jibe at actor Aamir Khan, Home Minister Rajnath Singh argued in the parliament that Dr B R Ambedkar never thought of leaving India in spite of facing criticism for social as well as views.

"Even as he faced insults, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar never thought about leaving India. He kept on presenting an objective point of view for a unified India," Rajnath said, forcing the Congress to object to the remarks.

Rajnath said he do not want to stir another row on the occasion on the 125th birth anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar, who alluded to the ongoing debate on intolerance in India. He also raked up the controversial addition of the words secular and socialist in India's preamble to the Constitution.

"Our founding fathers believed that the preamble is the soul of the Constitution and no changes should be made to that. The two words - secular and socialist - were inserted later. I am not saying I don't agree with those words. What happened is past now," Home Minister said.

The two words, secular and socialist, were added to the preamble of the Constitution via the 42nd amendment by the Congress-led Indira Gandhi government in the 1970s. "Why was the secular word added?" he asked.

"Secularism essentially means panthh-nirpeksh (non-sectarian), not dharm-nirpeksh (non-religious), which is why Dr Ambedkar did not put it in the preamble," the Home Minister said.

-Sumana