Rahul ignores Congress' Sangh connection

Rahul Gandhi overlooks Congress's history of cooperation with Sangh leadership and ideology.

- ALOK MEHTA NEW DELHI

While addressing the nation from the Red Fort on Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned the centenary year of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and praised the organization's service to the nation. Along with this, while remembering India's great personalities and those who sacrificed, he also paid humble tribute to Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee. On this matter, Congress, and at this time Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, as well as party president Mallikarjun Kharge, expressed opposition and leveled baseless allegations.

This is mere street-level opposition, but before doing so, do they have an answer to the question of why, on the national festival of Independence Day, Rahul Gandhi did not attend the Red Fort ceremony as per the tradition of his forefathers and of democracy? He was not seen even on Republic Day. These ceremonies do not belong to any one party. Then why did Rahul Gandhi not make an effort to look into or understand Congress's record of relations with the Sangh and with leaders who were staunch supporters of Hindutva?

Why did Rahul Gandhi not get the information that Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee, founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (now Bharatiya Janata Party), was a great leader in India's freedom struggle and in the politics of independent India? He was a nationalist, a staunch Hindu leader, and an erudite educationist. He also played an important role in Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's first cabinet (the first council of ministers of independent India after the interim government). On August 15, 1947, when the first council of ministers of independent India was formed, Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee was made Minister of Industry and Supply. His contribution was important in laying the foundation of modern India. He even sacrificed his life for the cause of making Jammu and Kashmir an integral part of India under the Indian Constitution by ending Article 370.