'BJP Created Communal Division To Divert Attention From Basic Issues': Congress Chief Kharge At CWC Meet

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge accused the BJP of creating communal division to divert attention from basic issues.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said that the ruling BJP is creating communal division to divert attention from basic issues. Kharge was speaking at the Extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Ahmedabad.

Kharge also accused the BJP-RSS of committing a “well-planned conspiracy” against national heroes, claiming that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's ideology was contrary to the RSS’ ideas and said it is laughable that today that organisation which “has no contribution” in the freedom struggle claims his legacy.

For the last several years, a well-planned conspiracy is being carried out regarding many national heroes, he alleged.

“An atmosphere is being created against the Congress party which has a glorious history of serving and fighting for the country for the last 140 years. This work is being done by those people who have nothing to show as their achievements,” Kharge said. They have nothing to show as their contribution in the freedom struggle, he said, attacking the BJP-RSS.

What Kharge Said About Nehru and Patel?

Kharge said that a false narrative was being built to pit Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel against each other, as if they were adversaries.

Recalling a speech Patel gave at Gujarat Vidyapith on March 7, 1937, when Nehru was the Congress President and the state's youth wanted him to campaign in provincial elections, he asserted that the two leaders were two sides of the same coin.

"Patel had said, 'The day Gujarat wins this electoral battle and proves its loyalty to the Congress, that day we shall welcome Congress President Nehru with pride'. This shows how deeply Patel believed in Nehru's leadership," Kharge noted.

Kharge also invoked the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and Dadabhai Naoroji, three legendary figures who headed the Congress and influenced India's political and moral foundations. He claimed that they not only guided the Congress but also lighted its path.

"Gandhiji gave us the unshakable weapons of truth and non-violence to fight injustice, tools no power can withstand," Kharge said.

Kharge also highlighted the upcoming 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on October 31, calling him "the architect of India's unity", echoing Pandit Nehru’s description of Patel’s unifying role.