The Congress today alleged that the BJP was seeking to rewrite history and accused its chief Amit Shah of dragging political discourse to “unacceptable lows”.
Hitting out at Shah, Congress senior spokesperson Anand Sharma said the BJP chief’s reported remarks that the Congress undertakes its political yatras only by carrying urns of former leaders were a “disrespect” to the memory of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, whose contributions and sacrifices are well documented in history.
“Amit Shah is less informed of history and has dragged the political discourse repeatedly to unacceptable lows,” he alleged.
Sharma also said, “Amit Shah, BJP leadership and the RSS are seeking to rewrite history.”
“They need to be reminded that history always triumphs and those who attempt to change or mutilate histories of countries and societies, have always been consigned to the dustbin of history,” Sharma said in a statement.
The former Union Minister said Nehru was a statesman respected across the world and it is “ridiculous”, that the president of a ruling party chose to question Nehru’s vision while applauding Jana Sangh founder Shyama Prasad Mookerjee for his philosophy and contribution.
“This is distortion of facts and history,” he said, adding that Congress governments in provinces resigned in 1939 for the unilateral decision to drag Indian into war.
“Amit Shah is inheritor of the legacy of non participants in the freedom struggle, who betrayed the people by opposing the Quit India Movement and collaborated with the British,” the Congress leader alleged.
Sharma said it is a matter of “shame” that the BJP government instead of commemorating the centenary of Indira Gandhi is “insulting and belittling” her contribution.
He also said that the BJP chief has also “insulted” the contribution of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, “who made the supreme sacrifice” for the cause of India’s unity and integrity.
“The BJP President and the party are well advised to give an account of the non performance of the Modi-led government, its non fulfilment of the promises and betrayal of people’s trust,” he said.
He said the Modi government must be held accountable for “hurting Indian economy, shaving off 2 pc of the GDP, non creation of jobs and destroying” tens of millions of jobs in the informal sector post demonetisation.