Social Bible more important than Vedas: Soz

Senior Congress leader and former union minister, Saifuddin Soz Monday said the ‘Social Bible’ – the constitution of India – was more important for Indians than Vedas.

“The founding fathers of India gave us a Social Bible – the constitution of India, according to which all the religions are equal,” Soz said addressing a news conference at his Humhama residence.

Reading from the constitution of India, he said, “For whom is this Social Bible meant?”

“I express my deep anxiety and anguish that the injunction in the Vedas regarding the protection of cows has to be adopted compulsorily by India,” the Congress leader said referring to an article in RSS organ Panchjanya that killing of Muhammad Ikhlaq Saifi in Dadri over beef consumption rumours could not have been “without reason” and even the “Vedas mandate killing of those who slaughter cows”.

Soz, whose vote against the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on April 16, 1999 toppled the year-old Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government, expressed astonishment that RSS justifies, as per the Vedic injunction, the killing of those who violate the Vedic instructions.

An article in RSS organ Panchjanya had said, “The Vedas order killing of anyone who slaughters the cow and cow slaughter is a big issue for the Hindu community and for many of us it’s a question of life and death.”

Soz said he was afraid that this stand of RSS was directly repugnant to the provisions of the constitution of India which enshrines the statute declaring all citizens of India equal before the law with complete freedom to believe and propagate their religion, as a fundamental right.

“It is really very unfortunate for India that the RSS chief, Mohan Bhagwat, has been at the forefront of the sectarian movement aggressively promoting Hindutva philosophy,” the former union minister said. “It is unfortunate that RSS has adopted a posture promoting sectarian and parochial social attitudes, detrimental to the unity and integrity of India.”

Soz said he had written to All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) to approach the Supreme Court of India for ensuring the protection of personal laws of the Muslim community.

“I also talked to Maulana Wali Rehmani of Patna and Zaffaryab Jeelani of Lucknow, General Secretary of the Board, and impressed upon them that this is not the time to hold meetings in closed-door rooms and not take recourse to invoking the provisions of the constitution of India and laws of the land,” he said. “At the same time, I complimented the Board for its commitment to the constitution of India and for being a steadfast law-abiding organisation.”

The Congress leader said one of the founding fathers of India, Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel was the first person to say RSS was detrimental to India.

He expressed concern that this year Hindutva ideology was being followed aggressively.

“RSS will destroy India’s existence,” Soz said. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have to learn a lesson and not allow the fringe to become a norm.”

He said the Kashmir-wide complete shutdown was a message to the government that extremist elements need to be punished within the public knowledge.

“I think BJP itself will start a dialogue with the RSS to stop what they are doing,” the Congress leader said.

Soz said it would be better if the Supreme Court deals with beef ban not the legislature and that the apex court should give a decision on the Muslim Personal Law.

Terming them “illustrious sons and daughters of India”, the former union minister also saluted the writers who had returned their awards against the growing atmosphere of intolerance in India.