Declare India as a Hindu nation, says Hindu Janajagruti Samiti

Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) here on Monday demanded that India should be declared as a Hindu nation, saying the word secular in the Constitution was added "unconstitutionally."

"The Constitution of our country is said to be 'secular.' However, as per the Article 370 of the Constitution, there is opposition to inserting the word 'secular' in the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir," said Ramesh Shinde, the national spokesperson of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti.

"As a result, a strange situation has arisen - our country is secular, but the state is not secular," added Shinde, who was speaking at the inaugural session of two-day 'National Advocates' Convention.'

"If everybody in India has been given freedom of expression, freedom of religion by the Constitution, how can the demand for the 'Hindu nation' be unconstitutional? In comparison, the action of Indira Gandhi in 1976 that of inserting the words 'Secular' and 'Socialist' in the Constitution vide the 42nd Amendment is unconstitutional," he said.

According to its website, the HJS was established in 2002 and under the sole aim of "establishment of the Hindu nation." More than 100 devout Hindu advocates from India and Bangladesh are attending the convention.

On the occasion, a Marathi text -- 'Hindu Rashtra Akshep Khandan'-- was released, said a press statement.

During the convention, senior advocate Hari Shankar Jain said: "Today, the word 'secular' is being used only to appease minorities. People have got fed up of secularism."

"The BJP govt which got elected due to Hindu votes should take decisions in the interest of Hindus. Hindu advocates should say with pride that they are working for the interests of Hindutva."

A resolution to protest the arrest of Advocate Sanjiv Punalekar, who was recently detained by the CBI for allegedly destroying the weapons used in the murder of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, was unmously passed in the convention. .

( With inputs from ANI )