Accusing the BJP-RSS of carrying out a “well-planned conspiracy” against national heroes, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has asserted that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s ideology was contrary to the RSS’ ideas and said it is laughable that today that organisation which “has no contribution” in the freedom struggle claims his legacy.
According to PTI, In his opening address at the Extended Congress Working Committee meeting at the Sardar Patel Memorial , Kharge also said that today, attention is being diverted from the basic issues of the country by indulging in communal division.
“On the other hand, oligarchic monopoly is on the path of controlling the government by capturing the resources of the country,” he said Quoting Sardar Patel, Kharge said organisational strength was important and mere numbers without the organisation was meaningless.
For the last several years, a well-planned conspiracy is being carried out regarding many national heroes, he alleged.
“An atmosphere is being created against the Congress party which has a glorious history of serving and fighting for the country for the last 140 years. This work is being done by those people who have nothing to show as their achievements,” Kharge said They have nothing to show as their contribution in the freedom struggle, he said, attacking the BJP-RSS.
“They conspired to show that the relationship between Sardar Patel and Pandit Nehru was such that the two heroes were against each other. While the truth is that they were two sides of the same coin. Many incidents and documents are witness to their cordial relationship,” he asserted.
Citing a speech of Sardar Patel in Gujarat Vidyapeeth in 1937, Kharge narrated an incident that during that time Nehru was the president of the Congress and the youth of Gujarat wanted that he be called to campaign in the provincial elections.
“Sardar Patel said on March 7, 1937 that ‘The day Gujarat proves its loyalty to the Congress by becoming victorious in this election movement, we will welcome Congress president Nehruji with flowers and welcome him with open hearts’,” Kharge said “You can understand from this how much Sardar loved Nehruji. On 14 October 1949, Sardar Patel had said in a book for Nehruji that ‘No one knows better than me the tireless efforts Nehruji has made for the country in the last two difficult years. During this period, I have seen him grow old very fast due to the burden of heavy responsibilities’,” he said.
Kharge said these things are recorded in the public record.
“There was almost daily correspondence between the two. Nehruji used to take his advice on all matters. Nehruji had immense respect for Patel sahab. If he had to take some advice, he himself would go to Patelji’s house. For Patelji’s convenience, CWC meetings were held at his residence,” Kharge said.
He asserted that Patel’s ideology was contrary to the ideas of RSS and he had even banned the organisation.
“But it is laughable that today the people of that organisation claim Sardar Patel’s legacy,” Kharge said.
Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel played an important role in making Baba Saheb Ambedkar a member of the Constituent Assembly, he claimed.
Ambedkar himself had said in his last speech in the Constituent Assembly on November 25, 1949 that “the Constitution could not have been made without the support of the Congress Party”, Kharge recalled.
“But when the Constitution was made, the RSS criticised Gandhiji, Pandit Nehru, Dr. Ambedkar and the Congress a lot. They burnt the effigies of the Constitution and these leaders at Ramlila Maidan. They also said that the Constitution was not inspired by Manuwadi ideals,” he said.
The Modi government insulted Gandhi and Baba Saheb by removing their grand statues from Parliament premises and putting them in a corner, he alleged.
