BJP Attacks Jawaharlal Nehru In Video On Partition, Congress Says 'Modern Day Savarkars, Jinnah...'

"Modern-day Savarkars and Jinnahs are continuing their efforts to divide the nation," Congress MP Jairam Ramesh stated.

India's First Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

As India observes its second "Partition Horrors Remembrance Day," the Bharatiya Janata Party recently issued a film detailing its version of events leading up to India's partition in 1947.

The seven-minute movie, which uses archive footage and dramatised pictures of the partition combined with emotive music and sophisticated editing, obliquely criticises Jawaharlal Nehru for yielding to the demands of the Muhammad Ali Jinnah-led Muslim League for the establishment of Pakistan.

Taking to Twitter, BJP stated, "Those who had no knowledge of India's cultural heritage, civilization, values, pilgrimages, in just three weeks, they drew the border between people living together for centuries. Where were those people at that time who had the responsibility of fighting against these divisive forces?"

जिन लोगों को भारत की सांस्कृतिक विरासत, सभ्यता, मूल्यों, तीर्थों का कोई ज्ञान नहीं था, उन्होंने मात्र तीन सप्ताह में सदियों से एक साथ रह रहे लोगों के बीच सरहद खींच दी।

उस समय कहाँ थे वे लोग जिन पर इन विभाजनकारी ताक़तों के ख़िलाफ़ संघर्ष करने की ज़िम्मेदारी थी?#विभाजन_विभीषिका pic.twitter.com/t1K6vInZzQ

— BJP (@BJP4India) August 14, 2022

The BJP film highlighted Cyril John Radcliffe, whose partition map nearly divided Punjab and Bengal, and questioned how a someone with little grasp of Indian cultural tradition was permitted to divide India in a matter of weeks.

While the narrator chronicled the tragedies of partition, images of Nehru featured throughout the programme.

Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the 14th of August will be observed yearly as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day to remind the nation of the hardships and sacrifices made by Indians during the 1947 partition.

The Prime Minister marked the occasion with a tweet early this morning.

'Modern Day Savarkars, Jinnah Continue Their Efforts To Divide Nation': Congress MP Ramesh Hits Back

The Congress has responded, with MP Jairam Ramesh claiming that the PM's "real objective" in commemorating this day is to "exploit the most traumatic historical incidents as fuel for his present political battles."

"Modern-day Savarkars and Jinnahs are continuing their efforts to divide the nation," he tweeted.

4. The modern day Savarkars and Jinnahs are continuing their efforts to divide the nation. The Indian National Congress will uphold the legacy of Gandhi, Nehru, Patel and many others who were untiring in their efforts to unite the nation. The politics of hate will be defeated.

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) August 14, 2022

In an apparent rebuttal to the film, Jairam Ramesh stated that the tragedy of division cannot be "misused" to promote hatred and prejudice. He also challenged the BJP's interpretation of events leading up to split.

"The truth is Savarkar originated 2 nation theory and Jinnah perfected it. Sardar Patel wrote, "I felt that if we did not accept partition, India would be split into many bits and would be completely ruined"," he stated.

Ramesh wondered if the PM will also recall Shyama Prasad Mookherjee, the founder of the Jan Sangh, who advocated for Bengal's partition against Sarat Chandra Bose's desires and served in free India's first Cabinet "when the dreadful effects of Partition were becoming apparent."

"The Indian National Congress will uphold the legacy of Gandhi, Nehru, Patel and many others who were untiring in their efforts to unite the nation. The politics of hate will be defeated," the Congress MP said.