MUMBAI: Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Sunday said Mahatma Gandhi's ideology is the guiding light for the country, which will run on the teachings of the Father of the Nation and not on Hindutva.
The Gandhian thoughts are deeply rooted in the country and nobody can wipe them out, Patole said addressing Congress workers at the party office in central Mumbai after paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi on his death anniversary.
''The Gandhian philosophy has been accepted the world over. The country will run on Gandhiji's teachings and not on Hindutva,'' said the Congress leader, whose party shares power with the Shiv Sena and NCP in Maharashtra.
He also said Gandhiji lives on through his teachings.
''Gandhi is not an individual, but a thought. His teaching of non-violence has been accepted the world over. The country's independence and Constitution are under threat at present, and we have to be alert to protect them,'' Patole said.
Earlier in the day, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said "Hindutvawadis" feel the Father of the Nation is no more but he is alive, where there is truth.
Mahatma Gandhi was shot dead on this day in 1948 by Nathuram Godse.
"A 'Hindutvawadi' had shot Gandhi ji. All 'Hindutvawadis' feel that Gandhiji is no more. Where there is truth, Bapu is still alive there," Rahul Gandhi tweeted in Hindi, using the hashtag 'Forever Gandhi'.