New Delhi, Oct 21 (UNI) Rejecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's allegations that Gandhi-Nehru family, who participated in the national movement, did not gave importance to other leaders like Subhash Chandra Bose and Sardsr Patel , the Congress on Sunday accused BJP of desperately trying to usurp the legacy of the freedom struggle.
Addressing a news conference here at the party headquarters, AICC spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi accused Mr Modi for doing politics on the name of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on the an auspicious day like today.
' PM's advisors should tell him about the historical facts,' the Congress leader said.
' A politcal party(BJP) which did not have any contribution during national movement at the time of freedom struggle is talking about history,' the Congress leader said.
Taking a jibe on Mr Modi, the Congress leader said the Prime Minister has changed the famous slogan of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose which was 'Tum muhje khoon do, main tumhe azadi doonga' to 'Tum muhje khoon Pasina bhi do, main tumhe kewal Bhashan(Speech) doonga'.
Earlier in the day, in an attack on the Congress for neglecting the contribution of Subhash chandra Bose, the Prime Minister said that several good sons of the nation like Bose, B R Ambedkar and Sardar Patel were “forgotten in the favour of one family”.
Speaking after unfurling the tricolour at the Red Fort on the 75th anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's declaration of the formation of India's first independent government – the Azad Hind Government in 1943, the PM, said,'Netaji had promised an India where everyone has equal rights and equal opportunities. He had promised a prosperous nation which was proud of its traditions, development in all areas. He had promised to uproot 'divide and rule'. Even after so many years those dreams remain unfulfilled.'
The PM recalled that while remembering his days at Cambridge, Bose had written,"Indians are taught that Europe is a bigger picture of the Great Britain and because of this our habit is to look at Europe from an English perspective'
Speaking at the event, seen as an attempt by the BJP to stake claim to the legacy of Netaji after trying earlier to lay stake to legacy of Dr B R Ambedkar and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel , the PM said, 'it has been our misfortune that even after independence, those who laid the foundation of India and our system, looked at India from an English spectacle. Our heritage, culture, education system, our curriculum have all suffered from this.Today I can say this with certainty that if our nation was guided by the likes of Subhas Bose and Sardar Patel, if it was not looked at from a foreign perspective, then the situation of the country would be much different.
It is sad that just to magnify the presence of one family, sons of India -- Patel, Ambedkar and Bose -- have been obliterated from our national discourse.'
UNI NY AR 1718