Modi must apologise for misrepresenting Nehru in LS: Kharge

Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “misleading the public by twisting facts” and distorting a letter written by India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, on Monday demanded an apology from Modi for misrepresenting Nehru.

During a discussion on the “Glorious Journey of 75 years of the Constitution of India” in the Rajya Sabha, Kharge said in his speech in the Lok Sabha on Saturday, Modi claimed there was no elected government from 1947 to 1952 and alleged that the Congress had “illegally amended the Constitution”.

He clarified that the first Constitutional amendment was carried out by members of the Constituent Assembly, including BJP founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee. The amendment aimed to provide reservations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, address challenges related to education and employment and abolish the zamindari system.

He added that another aspect of the amendment was to curb communal propaganda. He cited a letter dated July 3, 1950, in which Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel suggested to Nehru that a Constitutional amendment was the only solution to the problem.

“Nehru then wrote to the Chief Ministers. However, the Prime Minister has twisted these facts in his speech to defame Nehru. He should apologise to the nation. This is my demand. If you distort history to mislead the public and defame someone, you owe an apology to this House, the Lok Sabha and the people of the country,” Kharge said.

Taking aim at Modi, Kharge accused him of dwelling on the past instead of focusing on the present. “Rather than highlighting the achievements of the last 11 years of governance, he resorts to twisting history,” he said.

Kharge also alleged that the BJP opposes the principles of social justice and reservations. “They oppose the caste census because they are inherently against reservation,” he said.

Criticising the BJP’s ideological roots, Kharge said the RSS had historically opposed the Constitution and democratic values. “The Constituent Assembly debates show how RSS leaders opposed the Constitution, the national flag and the Ashok Chakra. Today, these very forces are trying to lecture us on Constitutional principles,” he charged, questioning the BJP’s commitment to democracy.

Kharge also criticised the BJP for delaying the implementation of the women’s reservation policy, asserting that a Congress-led government would have acted much faster.

He questioned the BJP’s moral authority to speak about India’s Independence. “Those who did not participate in the freedom struggle cannot understand its significance. BJP leaders lack the moral right to comment on the sacrifices made by Congress leaders and freedom fighters,” Kharge said, accusing the BJP of attempting to appropriate the narrative of India’s freedom movement.