It is the classic foot in mouth situation only this time it is Congress’ mouthpiece ‘Congress Darshan.’ As the party celebrates its 131st Foundation Day on Monday, senior leaders were shocked after the mouthpiece published an exhaustive piece blaming former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for the current state of affairs in Kashmir, China and Tibet.
The article states that Nehru should have listened to freedom fighter and former home minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s views on international affairs. “Despite Patel getting the post of deputy prime minister and home minister, the relations between the two leaders remained strained, and both had threatened to resign time and again,” reads the article.
The article, which does not bear the name of the writer, has been published in this month’s issue of Congress Darshan Hindi edition as a tribute piece to mark Patel’s death anniversary on 15 December.
“Despite Patel getting the post of deputy prime minister and home minister, the relations between the two leaders remained strained, and both had threatened to resign time and again,” the article says.
If Nehru had embraced Patel’s foresight, many problems in international affairs would not have arisen, it adds.
“Nehru (PM) was in charge of foreign affairs and kept Kashmir with him, citing it as an international issue. But Patel, being deputy PM, would sometimes attend the cabinet meetings. Today’s problems wouldn’t have existed had Patel’s foresight in the Kashmir issue been considered then,” says the article.
The article cited a letter that Patel wrote to Nehru in 1950 to warn him against China’s policy towards Tibet and where “Patel described China as unfaithful, and a future enemy of India…”
“Had Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel been heard then (by Nehru), the problems of Kashmir, China, Tibet and Nepal wouldn’t have existed now. Patel opposed Nehru’s move of taking the Kashmir issue to the UNO,” stated the article, adding, “Nehru did not agree with Patel’s views on Nepal.”
Mumbai Regional Congress Committee chief and editor of the journal Sanjay Nirupam said he is not involved in the day-to-day functioning of the magazine and was unaware of the article.
“I do not agree with the article. It seems to have been sourced, but I don’t know who the writer is,” Nirupam, who in his earlier stint with Shiv Sena edited Hindi newspaper ‘Dopahar Ka Saamana’, said, adding that corrective measures would be taken.
Nirupam, however, told NDTV: “The kind of words that have been used in Congress Darshan are worrying. I take responsibility for this, and the matter shall be investigated thoroughly. We will take action against those responsible.”