Bengaluru (PTI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday said that the party will fight tooth and nail if any word is touched in the Constitution.

He was reacting to RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale's call to review the words 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Preamble.

Speaking to reporters at his house in Bengaluru, Kharge called Hosabale "a man of Manusmriti".

"He doesn't want the poor class people to come up. And what was practiced thousands of years ago, he wants the same to continue. That's why he doesn't like socialism, secularism and liberty, equality and fraternity," the Congress president said.

According to Kharge, this is not only Hosabale's line, but that of the RSS.

Hosabale, while addressing an event on the Emergency recently, said that "the preamble of the Constitution Baba Saheb Ambedkar made never had these words."

"During the Emergency, when fundamental rights were suspended, Parliament did not work, and judiciary became lame, then these words were added."

The RSS leader said discussions were held on this issue later but no effort was made to remove them from the Preamble. "So whether they should remain in the Preamble should be considered," he added.

Kharge said, "RSS is always against the poor people, the downtrodden and Scheduled Caste and other communities. If they are so interested, they could have removed untouchability. They claim they are the champions of the Hindu religion. If they are so, they should remove untouchability."

The Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha also said that RSS should deploy all its volunteers to make sure untouchability is removed and keep the country united. "Instead of that, simply talking, making noise and creating confusion in the country--that is very bad, and we are against it. The party will fight tooth and nail if any word is touched in the Constitution," said Kharge.

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Ranchi (PTI): The body of a migrant worker from Jharkhand’s Giridih district killed in Saudi Arabia in October last year has arrived at Ranchi Airport, but his family refused to accept it over pending compensation, officials said.

Shikha Lakra, team leader of the state migrant control cell, told PTI that, before taking the body of Vijay Kumar Mahato, the family is demanding compensation from the private company where he used to work in the Arab country.

Mahato was killed in an alleged crossfire between the police and criminals.

“Since it was a bullet injury case, the matter is before a court in Jeddah. The final compensation may depend on the court’s decision,” Lakra said.

“The Indian Embassy informed us about the body’s arrival, and coordination was done with district authorities. Our role is limited to coordination in cases involving overseas employers and foreign jurisdiction,” she added.

Giridih Deputy Commissioner Ram Niwas Yadav said the authorities will try to convince the family to perform the last rites.

“We have already sanctioned Rs 5 lakh under the government scheme for migrant’s deaths abroad. The compensation payment might take some time,” he said.

The body is currently at the mortuary of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi.

The Family members said they will only accept it if the company provides written assurance regarding compensation. “Without that assurance, we will not receive the body,” said Ram Prasad Mahato, the deceased’s brother-in-law.

Mahato, a native of Dudhpaniya village in Madh Gopali panchayat under Dumri block, was employed as a tower line fitter. His family said he was struck by a bullet during a gunfight between local police and an extortion gang and later succumbed to his injuries.

Social activist Sikander Ali said Mahato is survived by his wife, two young sons aged five and three, and elderly parents.