The political atmosphere in New Delhi heated up on Sunday as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a sharp counterattack against the Congress party. This came in response to veteran Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's allegations that the ruling government is engaged in a systematic campaign to vilify India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
Congress Accused of Historical Marginalisation
Addressing a press conference, BJP's national spokesperson, Sambit Patra, turned the tables on the opposition. He accused the Congress of having "destroyed many great men's legacy" in its long history, solely to elevate and preserve the legacy of Nehru within the party.
Patra specifically named two iconic figures from India's freedom struggle. "I respectfully tell Sonia Gandhi that to preserve Nehru's legacy, the Congress Party has destroyed many great men's legacies, including Vallabhbhai Patel, who was marginalised within the party," he stated. He further added that Subhash Chandra Bose was similarly neglected for many years by the party.
BJP's Mission to "Rectify History"
The BJP spokesperson framed his party's current efforts as a correction of historical wrongs. "The BJP is trying to rectify history and give due credit to the people who really contributed to the independence of this country and to its various facets," Patra claimed. He positioned this as a core objective of the ruling establishment.
Patra also took direct aim at Nehru's historical decisions, particularly concerning Jammu and Kashmir. He made a bold assertion, claiming, "We clearly say that without Pandit Nehru, there would have been no Kashmir problem." This remark is likely to fuel further political debate on the region's complex history.
Architect of Modern India: Nehru vs. Ambedkar
The BJP leader strongly contested Sonia Gandhi's description of Nehru as the "prime architect of the modern Indian nation-state." Patra presented an alternative view, giving primacy to the father of the Indian Constitution. "Sonia Gandhi said Nehru was the prime architect of the modern Indian nation-state, but we believe she is wrong on this point. It is Babasaheb Ambedkar who created the Constitution that guides India today," he argued.
Concluding his rebuttal, Patra issued a call to end the focus on one political family. "Therefore, this self-congratulation and prioritisation of the Gandhi-Nehru family should be stopped," he stated emphatically.
The war of words was triggered earlier during the launch of the Nehru Centre India at Jawahar Bhawan in Delhi. There, Sonia Gandhi had alleged a "systematic attempt" by the government to tarnish Nehru's image. "Let there be no doubt whatsoever that the project to vilify Jawaharlal Nehru is the main objective of the ruling establishment today," she had said. She warned that while analysis of his contributions was welcome, a concerted effort to "denigrate, distort, demean and defame him" was not acceptable, linking it to ideologies opposed to India's freedom movement and Constitution.
