Cong invokes Patel’s legacy in ‘ideological war’ with BJP-RSS

Countering BJP’s high-pitched campaign of invoking nationalist figures to rally support, the Congress Tuesday asserted its claim on the legacy of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India’s first Deputy Prime Minister, whose path it pledged to follow in the “ideological war” with the BJP-RSS.

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In a resolution - “Flag-bearer of freedom movement - Our ‘Sardar’ - Vallabhbhai Patel” - passed by the Extended Congress Working Committee, the Congress said its top leadership had gathered in Ahmedabad, the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Patel, to give a new direction to India.

Highlighting Patel’s contribution to the freedom struggle, the Congress accused the BJP of trying to usurp his legacy under a “well-planned conspiracy”. It alleged that the BJP and RSS have been “propagating lies” about the relationship Patel shared with Jawaharlal Nehru and asserted that the two leaders shared a great bonding and were like two sides of the same coin.