The occasion was meant to be a tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 150th birth anniversary. But it became a platform of sorts to make a statement. And a strong political one at that.
The BJP used the ‘Sardar@150 Rashtriya Ekta Padyatra’, a 152-kilometre march across Gujarat, to criticise the Congress and former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
Whether it’s the Iron Man of India’s birth celebrations or the death anniversary, the BJP spares no dig at the Congress at every conceivable opportunity.
According to media reports, this time they allegedly claimed that Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru failed to give Sardar Patel his due.
Furthermore, the ruling party said the Congress had sidelined Sardar Patel, and reportedly shared anecdotes that reflected poorly on Pandit Nehru.
‘Deep wound’
It must be mentioned here that since 2014, the BJP has accused the Congress of undermining Sardar Patel’s contribution in the freedom struggle. The padyatra further reinforced this narrative, presenting PM Modi as Sardar Patel’s ideological successor. BJP leaders also reportedly blamed Pandit Nehru for the Kashmir issue.
Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya, it’s reported, compared Sardar Patel to Otto von Bismarck, the German leader credited with unifying Germany.
However, national party president JP Nadda said Pandit Nehru had caused a “deep wound” by not allowing Sardar Patel to handle Kashmir, when he had made the rulers of Hyderabad and Junagadh accede to India.
Rajnath Singh too had sparked controversy when he recently said that Sardar Patel, “also a son of a Gujarati mother like PM Modi,” had thwarted Pandit Nehru’s plan to build the Babri Masjid using government funds.
Congress leaders described the move as an attempt to associate the party with a freedom movement icon and demanded an apology.
A name beyond political boundaries
Writer and human rights activist, Manishi Jani, told Vibes of India that the situation smacks of a deep crisis.
The BJP and the RSS, he claimed, have been using Sardar Patel’s reference since they had no other worthy name to mention in India’s freedom struggle.
He noted that the Congress has consistently spoken of Sardar Patel with respect. According to him, Patel’s legacy goes beyond political lines, as reflected in institutions and landmarks bearing his name, including the Sardar Patel Stadium, Sardar Sarovar Dam, and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
He said if Congress uses Sardar Patel’s name, he was at least from the party. But the BJP comfortably takes his name to strengthen their party narrative, which is laughable, he said.
He also lamented that many programmes happening around but those concerning people’s welfare are conveniently ignored.
Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee president Amit Chavda told Vibes of India that, despite the BJP’s frequent claims, the party does not truly follow Sardar Patel’s ideology.
During the event, BJP leaders portrayed Sardar Patel as a nationalist figure aligned with their ideology.
Sardar Patel, Chavda reminded, had advocated a ban on the RSS. If the BJP believes in Patel’s ideology then it should ban the RSS as well, he demanded.
Chavda further mentioned that Sardar Patel fought the most for the farmers, and in Gujarat the BJP should set an example by waiving off farmers’ loans.
Not the first time
The padyatra began on November 26 in Karamsad, Anand district, where Sardar Patel grew up, and concluded on December 6 at Ekta Nagar, the site of the Statue of Unity. The final day coincided with the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition.
At the launch, Vadodara MP Hemang Joshi invited Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to join the march. Several Union ministers addressed gatherings, emphasising that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the true inheritor of Sardar Patel’s legacy.
Several eminent personalities and party leaders including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh suggested that Sardar Patel’s policies signalled a “second coming of Sardar.”
Senior leader Jairam Ramesh cited entries from Sardar Patel’s daughter Maniben’s diary, saying Singh had spread falsehoods to strengthen ties with PM Modi.
The BJP has previously raised similar issues. On October 31, its official X handle shared images from the Sardar Patel gallery at the Statue of Unity. The gallery mentioned two attacks on Patel in 1939, allegedly by the Muslim League, and questioned the Congress’s long silence.
BJP contests claims
Meanwhile, according to the report, a BJP leader from Gujarat rejected claims that the party had appropriated Sardar Patel’s legacy. He said the BJP has always credited leaders appropriately, irrespective of political affiliation.
He noted that the Modi government had awarded the Bharat Ratna to Pranab Mukherjee in 2019, without claiming his legacy. He said Congress could have honoured Sardar Patel but did not.
He added that Congress had ignored Sardar Patel in practice, pointing out that no party leader had visited the Statue of Unity since 2018. He said social media had helped publicise facts about Patel that had long been overlooked.
Also Read: Yatra To Commemorate 150th Birth Anniversary Of Sardar Patel https://www.vibesofindia.com/yatra-to-commemorate-150th-birth-anniversary-of-sardar-patel/
