KOCHI: Once again, throwing a hat in the ring, Government Chief Whip and Kerala Congress (M) vice-chairman P C George has come out against those who criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for celebrating the birth anniversary of the ‘Iron Man of India’ Sardar Patel on Friday, the day of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s martyrdom.
In his blog, provocatively titled ‘The History of the National Movement for Independence and Indian National Congress Is Not the History of Nehru Family Alone’, George expressed his allegiance towards the Prime Minister.
“There are attempts from some quarters to make a controversy out of the Union Government’s decision to celebrate the 139th birth anniversary of Sardar Patel, the country’s first Home Minister, as the National Integration Day, because it falls on the day of Indira Gandhi’s martyrdom,” P C George said.
“This could be seen only as a threat to the patriotism of the citizens as, unfortunately, the history of the Congress has become the history of the Nehru family. This starts with Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi and goes to leaders of the new generation, like Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and even Priyanka Gandhi,” George pointed out.
“For the first time in the history, the Congress has celebrated October 31 as the birthday of Sardar Patel, and why do we raise a controversy if one Narendra Modi is the cause of it?” he asked.
“There are a lot of other great leaders of Nehru’s stature who are in oblivion. May this day give everyone the courage to celebrate the commemoration days of leaders outside the Nehru Family, as they did today at the KPCC headquarters and the other parts of the State,” P C George said.