Brinda Karat, Chidambaram slam TN governor RN Ravi over ‘secularism’ comment, call it ‘RSS understanding’

Taking a sharp jibe at Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi on his secularism remarks, CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat on Monday said ‘it is a shame’ and expressed that such a person should not have bee appointed as the governor of an important state like Tamil Nadu.

“This governor has taken oath in the name of Constitution I presume…secularism is very much part of our Constitution…separation of religion from politics is very much part of our Constitution…tomorrow he will say the Constitution of India itself is a foreign concept, this is what the RSS understanding is..it is a shame that such person has been appointed as governor of such an important state like Tamil Nadu,” she told ANI.

CPI(M) leader further said that it is the “RSS understanding,” and tomorrow he might say that the Constitution is also a “foreign concept.”

No need of secularism in India: RN Ravi

The controversy started with Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi commenting that secularism is a “European concept” that “doesn’t belong to India.”

Speaking at an event, he said “Lot of frauds have been committed to the people of this country, and one of them is that they have been given a wrong interpretation of secularism. What does secularism mean!? Secularism is a European concept; secularism is not a Bhartiya concept.”

Further, noting that there is “no need of secularism in India”, he added, “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.”

RN Ravi’s comments were strongly criticised by opposition leaders like P Chidambaram, D Raja and others.

Notably, this is not the first time the Tamil Nadu Governor has made such remarks. Last year, he said that the people who want to break this country have given a distorted interpretation of secularism.

“Our Constitution is not against ‘dharma’ …it is the people who want to break this country, they have given a distorted interpretation of secularism. We have to understand the true meaning of secularism in our constitution…. those talking about eradicating Hinduism have a hidden agenda to break this country in collaboration with hostile foreign powers. They will not succeed as Bharat has inherent strength,” the Tamil Governor had said