Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had shown that he could demean even Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel to prove himself superior. Modi had on Tuesday said at an election rally that Kartarpur would have remained in India had Congress leaders shown sensitivity and seriousness about the matter at the time of Partition.
Kartarpur in Pakistan is the site of the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, one of the holiest shrines in Sikhism. Last week, India and Pakistan laid the foundation stones on their sides of the border for a corridor that will link the gurdwara to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district.
In a Facebook post, the Congress president said Modi was questioning Vallabhbhai Patel’s judgement by claiming that Kartarpur could have remained in India but is in Pakistan today because of the Congress’ “lack of vision”. “Modiji has finally said what was in his mind, that to prove himself better, he can demean everyone including Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel,” wrote Rahul Gandhi.
Vallabhbhai Patel was the first home minister of India.
In his election rally on Tuesday, Modi had said that the Congress leaders at the time of Partition had no idea about the importance of Guru Nanak and did not respect Sikh sentiments. “The credit of the Kartarpur corridor goes to your vote,” PTI quoted the prime minister as saying. “Correcting Congress’ mistakes was my destiny.”
Modi had unveiled a statue of Vallabhbhai Patel called the Statue of Unity in Gujarat on the leader’s birth anniversary on October 31. Built at a cost of about Rs 3,000 crore, and standing at a height of 182 metres, the statue is the tallest in the world.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!