ALAPPUZHA: The controversy set off by Union Minister of State (MoS) V Muraleedharan’s remarks against the country’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, following the Centre’s move to name the second campus of Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology after RSS ideologue MS Golwalkar, has refused to die down with Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala flaying the MoS for his failure to have a good grasp of history.
“He should first familiarise himself with history before making remarks. If he is clueless on history, he should consult someone knowledgeable. Then he will get to know how the Nehru Trophy Boat Race (NTBR) got its name. It is an insult to Rajiv Gandhi’s memory to name RGCB after Golwalkar. If the RSS ideologue had any connection with biotechnology, he definitely did not utilise it for the development of his home state or the country,” Chennithala said.
AICC general secretary KC Venugopal also castigated V Muraleedharan for his public posturing on the issue. “The union minister should apologise for insulting the memory of the country’s first prime minister,” he said. Leaders said the race was renamed after Nehru visited the venue in 1952. Along with daughter Indira and grandchildren Rajiv and Sanjay, Nehru had watched the race from the stands. After the Nadubhagom chundan had won the race, Nehru boarded the boat and spend a few minutes with the team. Later on, the prime minister after reaching New Delhi sponsored a silver trophy for the event.