"He must abide by Constitution": CPI's D Raja slams TN Governor RN Ravi's Secularism remark

New Delhi [India], September 23 : CPI leader D Raja on Monday condemned Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi's statement on secularism, questioning his understanding of the concept and India's constitutional values.
Raja also said that Dr BR Ambedkar had expressed that the nation would face a calamity if a Hindu Rashtra were to become a reality.
"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 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. Keep religion and election separate. Don't bring Gods for electoral purposes," Raja told ANI.
Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi on Monday sparked controversy by claiming that secularism is a European concept that doesn't belong in India.
Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi, while addressing the people in a convocation of Hindu Dharma Vidya Peetham at Thiruvattar in Kanyakumari, 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."
He also stated that secularism is a European concept and should remain there as there is no need of secularism in India.
"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.
This is not the first time the Tamil governor has made this statement. Last year, he said that the people who want to break this country have given a distorted interpretation of secularism.
"Our Constitution is not against 'dharma' ..it is the people who want to break this country, they have given a distorted interpretation of secularism. We have to understand the true meaning of secularism in our constitution....those talking about eradicating Hinduism have a hidden agenda to break this country in collaboration with hostile foreign powers. They will not succeed as Bharat has inherent strength," the Tamil Governor said.