'Secularism European concept, not needed in India', says Tamil Nadu Guv; sparks row

PTC News Desk: Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi sparked a row on Monday, stating that secularism is a European concept that does not belong in India.

While addressing the public at a convocation of Hindu Dharma Vidya Peetham in Thiruvattar in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi 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."

"In Europe, secularism came because there was a conflict between the church and the king, How can India be away from "Dharma"? Let secularism remain a European concept." He claimed that secularism is unnecessary in India.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi's views on secularism have sparked a row, with the ruling DMK criticising the Governor.

"Secularism is the most important concept in India, not Europe. Particularly the Governor had not read the Indian Constitution. Article 25 states that there should be conscious freedom of religion, which he does not understand. He should go read the Constitution properly...Our constitution lists 22 languages. Hindi is spoken in a few states. The remaining states speak various languages...The BJP's problem is that they don't know India or the Constitution...They know nothing. That is why they were unable to form a government on their own," stated DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan.

D Raja, the CPI leader, also slammed the Governor, claiming that secularism was needed to keep religion and politics separate.

"I strongly deplore the statement made by RN Ravi. What does he know about secularism? What does he know about India? He is a governor...he must abide by the Constitution. The Constitution of India defines India as a secular democratic republic...Dr BR Ambedkar emphatically rejected theocratic concept...Ambedkar went to the extent of saying, if at all Hindu Rashtra becomes a fact, that will be a calamity for the nation...secularism means keeping religion and politics separate...don't bring Gods for electoral purposes," he said.