Nehru, Patel two sides of same coin: Kharge
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said contrary to the BJP’s claim that Nehru and Sardar Patel were rivals, the two actually shared a very close rapport.
“They (BJP), conspire to show that the relationship between Sardar Patel and Pandit Nehru was not good and the two heroes were against each other,” Kharge said on Tuesday, while addressing the meeting of the Extended Congress Working Committee underway at the Sardar Patel National Memorial premises here.
“The truth is that they were two sides of the same coin. There are a number of documented incidents to prove the excellent relationship that existed between Nehru and Patel,” Kharge said.
He further said Sardar Patel’s ideology was contrary to the RSS’ ideas. “He had even banned the RSS. It is funny that today, people of the same organization claim Sardar Patel’s legacy,” he said.
“Sardar Patel Saheb lives in our hearts and thoughts. We are taking his legacy forward. We have organised this meeting of the CWC in Ahmedabad at the Sardar Patel Museum with this thought in mind. We are pay our emotional tribute to him,” Kharge said.
The Congress president said three great personalities born in Gujarat made the Congress’ name famous all over the world. The trio — Dadabhai Naoroji, Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel — remained presidents of the Congress party during different periods.
Acknowledging Mahatma Gandhi’s contributions, he said, “Gandhiji gave us the weapon of truth and non-violence against injustice. This is such a strong ideological weapon that no power can stand before it.”
But today, people of the BJP and the Sangh Parivar are taking over the institutions associated with Gandhiji and handing it over to his ideological opponents, Kharge said.
He further said, “Today, attention is being diverted from the basic issues of the country by doing communal division. On the other hand, oligarchic monopoly is on the path of controlling the government by taking over the resources of the country.”
India