Leaders of the Congress and other parties have branded RN Ravi, the governor of Tamil Nadu, for his “irresponsible” remarks regarding the meaning and origins of secularism, which came from someone holding a significant constitutional position.
Speaking at a public gathering in Kanniyakumari, Tamil Nadu, Mr. Ravi said that secularism is an idea that originated in the West and has no place in India.
“A lot of frauds have been committed on people of this country, and one of them is that they have tried to give a wrong interpretation of secularism. What does secularism mean? Secularism is a European concept, and it is not an Indian concept,” Mr Ravi told the gathering.
“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,” he said, without explaining whether the alternative is a theocratic state.
The head of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI(M), Brinda Karat, responded to the governor of Tamil Nadu’s statement by calling it “perplexing” because it implied that “the Constitution doesn’t hold much value for him.”
“The Governor’s statement shows that he thinks that the Constitution is also a foreign concept. Those who believe in the Constitution, those who question it are sitting in the Governor’s chair…” she said.
Ms. Karat pointed the finger at the BJP-led Centre, accusing it of selecting governors who do not uphold the nation’s ultimate constitution.
Manickam Tagore, a Congress MP from Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu, stated in a post on X that the Governor’s remark is unconstitutional.
“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,” said Tagore, who has served as an MP for three terms
Tensions between governors and state leaders have often flared out in the states run by the opposition and the centre. Governors of West Bengal and Kerala, for instance, have experienced conflict with Chief Ministers.
