Jawaharlal Nehru's role in Kashmir: BJP, Congress spar over Twitter
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh accuses Prime Minister Narendra Modi of whitewashing the real history and overlooking facts to castigate Jawaharlal Nehru. Union Law Minister Rijiju called out the former's views as a 'historical lie' and took to Twitter to share Nehru's speech
FollowThe Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday traded barbs on social media over Jawaharlal Nehru's role in the Kashmir issue. Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju 'historically' countered senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh who had -- while accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of whitewashing the real history and overlooking facts to castigate Nehru -- claimed that Maharaja Hari Singh dithered on accession to India till Pakistan invaded.
Citing Rajmohan Gandhi's biography of Sardar Patel, Ramesh claimed that Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah championed accession to India because of his friendship with Nehru and respect for Mahatma Gandhi. He further said that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was okay with Jammu and Kashmir joining Pakistan till September 13, 1947, when the Nawab of Junagadh acceded to Pakistan.
The Congress leader's remarks came in response to Prime Minister Modi praising Patel's role in unifying the country after independence and blaming Nehru for the problems in Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing a rally in Anand in his home state of Gujarat, Prime Minister Modi had credited Patel for successfully merging all princely states with India and, without directly naming Nehru, blamed 'one person' for his inability to resolve the Kashmir.
The comments have triggered a war between the Congress party and the BJP. After Ramesh lashed out at the Prime Minister on Twitter, Union Law Minister Rijiju called out the former's views as a 'historical lie'
Rijiju responded to Ramesh, saying that the 'historical lie' that Maharaja Hari Singh dithered on the accession of Kashmir with India had gone on for far too long to protect 'the dubious role' of the country's first prime minister.
Citing Nehru's speech from the time, Rijiju said the former -- in his speech in the Lok Sabha on July 24, 1952, after the agreement with Sheikh Abdullah -- admitted that Maharaja Hari Singh had approached him for accession to India a month before independence, in July 1947.
In the speech, Nehru goes on to say that 'Kashmir -- being a special case -- it would not be proper to try to rush things there, and the general principle we had laid down that the people of the state should be consulted', especially in Kashmir. '... we informed the Maharaja's government as well as leaders of the popular movement there that this matter should not be hurried, and that it should wait till some method was found of consulting the people,' Nehru had said.
Rijiju sought to know from Ramesh: 'Why was Kashmir made the only exception by Nehru, where the Princely ruler wanted to join India, and yet Nehru wanted much more? What was that much more? The truth is, India is still paying the price for Nehru's follies.'
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