In the lead‑up to Parliament’s debate on Vande Mataram, BJP’s Lok Sabha MP Sambit Patra publicly charged the Congress with rewriting history to protect what he called the “manufactured legacy” of Jawaharlal Nehru.
Speaking at a press briefing in Delhi, he countered the party’s frequent claims that the BJP is erasing Nehru’s role, saying the Congress has actually eroded other key figures.
Patra argued that leaders such as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Subhas Chandra Bose and Dr B.R. Ambedkar have been kept in the background for years to keep the “Nehru‑centric narrative” alive.
He highlighted an old NCERT illustration in which Nehru is shown clamping a whip while Ambedkar drafts the Constitution, using it to demonstrate how Ambedkar’s contributions were downplayed.
Patra also pointed to archived correspondence between Ambedkar and Nehru that revealed friction, including Ambedkar’s frustration with Nehru’s approach.
Responding to Sonia Gandhi’s recent remarks that the BJP is trying to diminish Nehru’s legacy, he declared the accusation “factually baseless” and added that the Nehru‑Gandhi family itself has tarnished Nehru’s image, citing the ongoing National Herald case involving Sonia and Rahul Gandhi.
The spokesperson argued that labeling Nehru as the sole architect of modern India misrepresents history, insisting that Ambedkar’s drafting of the Constitution truly laid the foundation of the Republic.
He also referenced historical records suggesting Nehru had concerns about Vande Mataram, fearing it might “irritate” the Muslim community.
Patra criticised what he termed Nehru’s “distorted secularism,” even recalling disputes with Patel over religious sites to bolster his point.
Finally, he said the upcoming parliamentary discussion would shed clearer light on Nehru’s position on Vande Mataram and affirmed that the Modi administration is committed to restoring recognition to leaders sidelined by dynastic politics.
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