Tag: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

  • Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s appeal, Gujarati origin suit Narendra Modi: Kerala MP Shashi Tharoor

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel represents a national appeal and a Gujarati origin that suit Narendra Modi and the “Modi-as-latter-day-Patel” message has been resonating well with many Gujaratis, argues Congress leader Shashi Tharoor.

    The Thiruvananthapuram MP also feels that Modi made a shrewd domestic political calculation – that wrapping himself in the mantle of distinguished Gujaratis Mahatma Gandhi and Patel would enable some of their lustre to rub off on him.

    Tharoor makes these observations in his new book “Pride, Prejudice and Punditry: The Essential Shashi Tharoor”, which brings together various fiction, non-fiction and poetry from his published works as well as many pieces written specially for this volume.

    “Narendra Modi made a shrewd domestic political calculation – that wrapping himself in the mantle of other distinguished Gujaratis, notably Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, would enable some of their lustre to rub off on him,” he writes in this book.

    “The process had already begun, lest we forget, when then chief minister Modi moved aggressively to lay claim to the legacy of one of India’s most respected founding fathers, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, before the 2014 election,” he says.

    Tharoor claims that in his “quest to garb himself in a more distinguished lineage than his party can ordinarily lay claim to, Modi called on farmers across India to donate iron from their ploughs to construct a giant, nearly 600-foot statue, of the Iron Man in his state, which would be by far the tallest statue in the world, dwarfing the Statue of Liberty”.

    But it will be “less of a monument to the modest Gandhian it ostensibly honours than an embodiment of the overweening ambitions of its builder – who decided to get a Chinese foundry to cast it, for his ambitions exceeded India’s capacities”, he adds.

    The imposing 182-m Statue of Unity of Patel, built on an islet Sadhu Bet near Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat’s Narmada district, is twice the height of the Statue of Liberty in the US.

    It was inaugurated by Modi on October 31, 2018.

    According to Tharoor, Modi’s motives are easy to divine.

    “As his own image was tarnished by the communal massacre in Gujarat when he was chief minister in 2002, identifying himself with Patel is an attempt at character building by association – portraying Modi himself as an embodiment of the tough, decisive man of action that Patel was, rather than the destructive bigot his enemies decry,” he writes.

    Tharoor says it helps that Patel is widely admired for his extraordinary role in forging India that gave him an unchallenged standing as the Iron Man.

    “Patel represents both a national appeal and a Gujarati origin that suits Modi. The Modi-as-latter-day-Patel message has been resonating well with many Gujaratis, who are proud to be reminded of a native son the nation looks up to, and with many of India’s urban middle class, who see in Modi a strong leader to cut through the confusion and indecision of India’s messy democracy,” he argues.

    Tharoor thinks there is a particular irony to a self-proclaimed ‘Hindu nationalist’ like Modi laying claim to the legacy of a Gandhian leader who would never have qualified his Indian nationalism with a religious label.

    “Sardar Patel believed in equal rights for all irrespective of their religion or caste,” he says.

    In one of the essays on Jawaharlal Nehru’s legacy, Tharoor cites Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s emotional and poetic tribute in Parliament to India’s first prime minister after his death.”

    Vajpayee’s statements went far beyond the claims of ritual.

    He called on the nation to rededicate itself to Nehru’s ideals.

    “‘With unity, discipline and self-confidence,’ Vajpayee said, in words that could never have been Modi’s, ‘we must make this Republic of ours flourish. The leader has gone, but the followers remain. The sun has set, yet by the shadow of stars we must find our way. These are testing times, but we must dedicate ourselves to his great aim, so that India can become strong, capable and prosperous…,’” Tharoor writes.

    In the book, published by Aleph, Tharoor looks at some of the most important figures of modern Indian history, covers international relations and diplomacy, examines various aspects of the faith and comes up with a light-hearted take on sundry matters besides an evocative look at his Kerala heritage among other topics.

  • Jinnah remark: Adityanath attacks Akhilesh, calls him ‘cultureless’; SP chief hits back

    By PTI

    AURAIYA/LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday targeted Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav over his Jinnah remark, saying that someone who is “cultureless” cannot be expected to know the difference between a national hero and a traitor.

    He was attacking Yadav for his remarks in which he appeared to have equated Pakistan’s founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

    Without naming the SP chief directly, Adityanath said a leader of a party had recently spoke of Sardar Patel and Jinnah in the same breath as leaders who fought for India’s independence.

    During a public meeting in Hardoi on October 31, Yadav had put together names of Mahatma Gandhi and other freedom fighters with Jinnah’s.

    “Sardar Patel, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Jinnah studied in the same institute and became barristers. They helped (India) get freedom and never backed away from any struggle,” he had said.

    During a programme launching online transfer of money in the accounts of parents of 1.80 crore students studying under Basic Shiksha Parishad at his official residence in Lucknow, Adityanath said, “Remember, if education is incomplete, culture is lacking, etiquette is lost, then you cannot expect that person to feel the difference between a national hero and a traitor.”

    “If such a situation arises today, then it may also be a reason for the lack of interest of the child’s parents in their education. And, so all this needed to be told in the morning assembly,” he said.

    “Often this disorientation starts only when the person does not know who is the friend of the country and who is the enemy of the country. When we start weighing the national hero and the anti-national in the same scale, then naturally it raises a question mark on the person’s ability,” the chief minister said.

    In Auraiya, earlier in the day, Adityanath warned people against political parties which equate Sardar Patel with Jinnah.

    Referring to his government’s achievements in the field of basic education, he said when his government was formed in 2017, the condition of basic education was very bad, but today it is better and a lot of improvement has taken place.

    “Today, the attitude about the Basic Education Council has changed.

    When the School Chalo campaign was launched in July 2017, there were 1 crore 30 lakh children in the council schools, but the number of children increased by 50 lakh in three years.

    Today, the Basic Education Council’s schools look different, their colours, different furnishings and the uniforms of the children studying are visible,” he said.

    The chief minister also called for promoting technology and said that transfer of money online into the accounts of parents will help avoid charges of corruption in the education department.

    At the foundation stone laying of a government medical college in Auraiya and inaugurating other projects, Adityanath said, “A leader of a party had a few days back in a speech attempted to equate Sardar Vallabhbai Patel, the man who symbolised the unity of India, with Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who divided the country.

    The entire state should reject such shameful and condemnable remarks.”

    “Sardar Patel, who symbolised India’s integrity, united over 563 kingdoms with India (at the time of Independence). We have to understand the mindset of the elements, who are trying to equate Sardar Patel with Jinnah. Sardar Patel united the country, while Jinnah divided the country, both cannot be contemporaries (‘samkaksh’). Sardar Patel was a ‘rashtranayak’ (national hero), but Jinnah was the one to break the unity of India. We have to remain alert of people who are trying to equate them,” he said.

    Speaking on the law and order front, Adityanath said that the image of the state is changing.

    “Earlier, professional criminals and mafia had made the lives of the poor, traders and women miserable. Earlier, there was a race to embrace the mafia elements, and derive political mileage. But, today everybody knows that bulldozers are running over the mafia, and it can also run over those who give refuge to the mafia,” he said.

    The Uttar Pradesh chief minister added that every person knows that there is zero tolerance towards criminals.

    Meanwhile, The Samajwadi Party chief on Saturday sought to defend his widely criticised statement equating Jinnah with Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru and saying they helped India get freedom even as an UP minister suggested a narco test for him for “glorifying” the Pakistani leader.

    As the row over the Samajwadi Party(SP) leader’s comments raged, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, without naming Yadav, described the remarks as “shameful and condemnable” and warned people against political parties which equate Sardar Patel with Jinnah.

    His ministerial colleague Anand Swaroop Shukla also said those heaping praises on Jinnah should go to Pakistan.

    Yadav on his part hit out at his detractors, asking them to read history books again.

    Asked by reporters in Lucknow about his response to the row over his remarks that had kicked up a controversy ahead of the Assembly elections in UP, the former chief minister shot back, “Why should I say the context? I would say read the books again.”

    Yadav’s counter-attack drew a sharp response from UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh, who in a Hindi tweet said, “The love for Jinnah still remains intact. Akhilesh Yadav ji please tell which history books have to be read — the Indian or the Pakistani.”

    On October 31, Yadav had said, “Sardar Patel, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and (Muhammad Ali) Jinnah studied in the same institute and became barristers. They helped (India) get freedom and never backed away from any struggle.”

    Minister Shukla told reporters in Ballia that Jinnah is responsible for the division of the country.

    “Jinnah is a villain, who no Indian would like to see or listen to. Akhilesh Yadav must clarify as to under which pressure, greed, is he glorifying Jinnah?”

    “I want Akhilesh Yadav to himself come forward, and get his narco test done,” he said.

    A narco test involves the injection of a drug, sodium pentothal, which induces a hypnotic or sedated state in which the subject’s imagination is neutralised, and they are expected to divulge true information.

    Shukla further said that those raising ‘zindabad’ slogans in praise of Jinnah, having thoughts and feelings of Jinnah in their mind, have no place in India.

    “They themselves should go to Pakistan,” the BJP leader added.

    Speaking at a public event in Auraiya, Adityanath, without naming Yadav, said a leader of a party had a few days back in a speech attempted to equate Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the man who symbolised the unity of India, with Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who divided the country.

    The chief minister said the entire state should reject such “shameful and condemnable” remarks.

    “Sardar Patel, who symbolised India’s integrity, united over 563 kingdoms with India (at the time of Independence). We have to understand the mindset of the elements, who are trying to equate Sardar Patel with Jinnah. Sardar Patel united the country, while Jinnah divided the country, both cannot be contemporaries (‘samkaksh’).”

    “Sardar Patel was a ‘rashtranayak’ (national hero), but Jinnah was the one to break the unity of India. We have to be alert of people who are trying to equate them,” Adityanath said.

    The SP also demanded the sacking of Shukla for accusing Yadav of getting economic support from Pakistan’s spy agency ISI.

    Shukla on Tuesday had said that Chief Minister Adityanath has become a challenge for the Islamic world.

    “Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is getting all support from them. Akhilesh is getting ‘sanrakshan aur sujhav’ (patronage and advice) from the ISI. It is possible that he might also be getting economic support from it.”

    On Friday, SP workers staged a protest at the District Collectorate building to demand the registration of a case against the minister.

    The opposition party has demanded that a case be registered against Shukla for making insulting remarks against the party chief, and spreading animosity in the society.

    SP’s Ballia district unit chief Raj Mangal Yadav, meanwhile, said there will be intense protests against the minister and that he will not be allowed to enter the district if the administration doesn’t take action against him.

  • Yogi Adityanath hits out at Akhilesh Yadav for ‘comparing’ Jinnah with Sardar Patel

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday attacked Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav for “comparing” Muhammad Ali Jinnah with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, saying Talibani mentality believed in breaking the society.

    Yadav on Sunday spoke of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru and Jinnah in the same breath as leaders who fought for India’s independence, prompting a criticism from the BJP.

    “I was listening to Akhilesh ji’s statement yesterday. He was comparing Jinnah, who divided the country, with Sardar Patel, who brought the nation together. This is a shameful statement,” Adityanath said in a programme in Moradabad.

    He said “Talibani mentality” believes in breaking the society.

    ​ALSO READ | Mayawati alleges collusion between SP, BJP over Akhilesh Yadav’s Jinnah remark

    “Sometimes it is in the name of caste….When they are not succeeding, they are raising fingers at ‘mahapurush’ (great personalities) and insulting the entire society,” he said.

    The chief minister said this cannot be accepted and everyone should condemn it.

    “Yadav should regret his statement as insulting Sardar Patel will not be accepted,” he added.

    “Sardar Patel is the basis of India’s unity and integrity, and also is the nation’s architect,” he said, adding that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi the belief of ‘ek Bharat, shresth Bharat’ is being taken forward.

    The credit of keeping free India ‘undivided’ goes to Sardar Patel, Adityanath said.

    The divisive mentality of glorifying Jinnah by comparing him with Sardar Patel is back in light, the chief minister said.

    “I think the people of the country, especially those from Uttar Pradesh, will never accept this divisive mentality,” he added.

    ​ALSO READ | Akhilesh Yadav not to contest Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, announces tie-up with RLD

    The BSP hit out at Yadav on Monday for speaking of the four leaders in the same breath and alleged that there is a “collusion” between the SP and the BJP.

    In a tweet in Hindi, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati alleged that Yadav’s remarks on Jinnah and the BJP’s response to it are part of a well-thought-out strategy of the two parties to vitiate the atmosphere on Hindu-Muslim lines ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

    AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi also criticised Yadav’s remarks, saying that Muslims who stayed in india had rejected Jinnah’s two-nation theory and the SP leader should instead talk about the present.

    The SP president, in his address at an event in Hardoi on Sunday, had lavished praise on Patel on his 146th birth anniversary but raised eyebrows at one point when he appeared to equate the four leaders, including Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan.

    The SP leader had said, “Sardar Patel understood the ground and he made decisions accordingly. Hence, he is also known as Iron Man.”

    “Sardar Patel, Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and (Muhammad Ali) Jinnah studied in the same institute and became barristers. They helped (India) get freedom and never backed away from any struggle,” Yadav had said.

    He had also referred to the ban imposed on the RSS by Patel, the then home minister, following Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination in 1948, saying only he could do it.

  • RLD chief promises 1 crore jobs for youth, 50 per cent quota for women in government jobs ahead of UP polls

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Announcing its “22 resolves” for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh polls, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) president Jayant Chaudhary on Sunday promised to provide jobs to one crore youth and also cancel the three farm laws if voted to power in the state.

    Chaudhary launched the election campaign of his party with the release of a manifesto for the UP polls early next year on the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

    Taking a swipe at the BJP government in the state, he said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had promised to give 70 lakh jobs after taking oath in 2017 but “now as the term is ending, he is putting out hoardings that they have given four lakh jobs.”

    “Our government will provide 1 crore jobs to prevent youth struggling to get employment,” he said.

    Though there is no public announcement so far, the RLD is said to be in talks with the Samajwadi Party for a pre-poll alliance for the 2022 polls.

    Chaudhary is leading RLD after the death of his father and former union minister Ajit Singh.

    Chaudhary, whose party enjoys sizeable support in the farmers belt of western UP, said his government would increase the purchasing price of potatoes by 1.5 times and also promised to pay 1.5 times of the input cost to sugarcane farmers within 14 days of coming to power.

    He promised to double the Rs 6,000 paid to farmers in three instalments every year under the Centre’s PM Kisan Samman scheme.

    The RLD chief vowed to provide 50 per cent reservation to women in government jobs.

    He also announced to do away with pending electricity dues and also halve the future power bills.

    The RLD promised Rs 1 crore compensation to families of fallen soldiers and Rs 4 lakh for the kin of those who died to COVID-19 in UP.

  • BJP slams Congress for ‘vilification’ of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at CWC meeting

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The BJP on Monday accused the Congress of committing a “sin” over reports that a leader at the recent CWC meeting made critical remarks about Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir and asked if the party leadership will take action against him.

    BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra cited reports that Tariq Hameed Karra, a Kashmiri leader and a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee, had credited Jawaharlal Nehru for Jammu and Kashmir’s integration with India and had alleged that Patel wanted to keep the Valley out.

    Patra asked whether Congress president Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi objected when Karra “vilified” Patel and presented India’s first home minister as a “villain” while praising Nehru.

    “Was Karra reprimanded? Will he be axed from the CWC,” Patra asked, accusing the Congress of constantly insulting leaders like Subhas Chandra Bose, Patel and Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar.

    The Congress, he alleged, is reduced to being a party of a family and works to advance the family’s rule.

    “What sort of mindset is this that one family has done everything and others have done nothing. What the CWC has done is a sin,” he said.

    He noted that Karra also batted for Rahul Gandhi to take over as the Congress chief while lauding the contribution of the Nehru-Gandhi family and criticising Patel.

    “This is the height of sycophancy,” he said.

  • Today is the death anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, PM Modi said- May his path always inspire us

    Modi has often expressed his deep appreciation and respect for him and was the brains behind the Statue of Unity project in Gujarat, a tribute to Patel who died in 1950.

    Paying tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his death anniversary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday honored him as the “Iron Man” who laid the foundation for a strong and prosperous India.

    The path shown by him will always inspire us to protect the unity, integrity and sovereignty of the country, he said in a tweet.

    Patel, a freedom fighter who became the first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India, is credited with uniting hundreds of princely states with the Union of India, which represents freedom, persuasion, dialogue and even the use of force. Follow freedom through.

    The Prime Minister has often expressed his deep appreciation and respect for him and the brains behind it has been the project of unity in Gujarat, a tribute to Patel who died in 1950.

  • Netaji’s kin demand his statue at India Gate

    The kin of Subhas Chandra Bose on Thursday demanded a statue of the leader at India Gate in the national Capital and declaration of his birthday on January 23 as “Liberation Day”.

    The demand comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a 182-metre-tall statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, considered to be the tallest in the world, in Gujarat.

    The imposing monument — the Statue of Unity — is built near the Sardar Sarovar dam in Gujarat’s Narmada district.

    “NDA Government under the leadership of @narendramodi ji kept its commitment by unveiling #SardarVallabhaiPatel’s statue on 31Oct 2018 & celebrating the day as #UnityDay. Demand rising to unveil a statue of the #LiberatorofIndia-on 23 Jan’19 at #IndiaGate Delhi & declare the day as #LiberationDay (sic),” Netaji’s grandnephew Chandra Kumar Bose said in a tweet.

    When contacted, Chandra Kumar Bose, who is also a vice-president of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) West Bengal unit, told PTI that the statue near India Gate was a demand of several Indian National Army (INA) and Army veterans.

    The Prime Minister had, on October 21, hoisted the national flag at the Red Fort and unveiled a plaque to mark the 75th anniversary of the proclamation of the Azad Hind Government by Subhas Chandra Bose.

    This was the first time the Prime Minister hoisted the national flag at the ramparts of the historic Red Fort for the second time in a year. Traditionally, the prime minister unfurls the tricolour at the Red Fort on Independence Day.

    Modi had also announced a national award in the name of Subhas Chandra Bose, to be given every year to those police personnel who do excellent work in rescue-and-relief operations during any kind of disaster.

  • Editorial :- Raajasthaan Aur Uttarapradesh Mein Aaj Hon Chunaav To Sarve Kya Kahate Hain?

    Today two pre-poll surveys have been published in newspapers.
    A survey is of Times Now and CNX, which says that if elections are held today in Rajasthan, the Congress is expected to get 110-120 seats and BJP 70-80 seats in the assembly.
    48 percent of the people said Vasundhara Raje Scindia’s rule was bad and 35 percent of the people said good.
    According to this estimation, Congress may burn flora on Diwali but according to a survey, according to the four-day moonlight for Congress, then according to the estimates of the Lok Sabha.
    These pre-poll surveys of Times Now and CNX say that 79 percent of Rajasthan’s people want to see Modi and 23 percent of Rahul Gandhi becoming prime minister. This means that if today’s Lok Sabha elections are held in Rajasthan, then the Congress will get three times the Lok Sabha seats from the Congress.
    2.
    According to Republic TV, if the elections in the National Assembly elections are held in November, what will be the result?
    Vote share project
    UPA – 7.9
    NDA – 43.9
    OTH-3.5
    Seat share project
    NDA-31
    UPA-5
    Others – 44
    With the countdown of all the important 2019 Lok Sabha elections, and with the crucial assembly elections in five states in the next few weeks, November will be the most important month in deciding which steps will be taken in the general elections in November. Lighting the Republic of TV and seawater highlighting the latest national acceptance ratings, which provides a complete and realistic snapshot of the prevailing countrywide election scenario.
    In the October edition, the last figure of the Republic TV-Citizen National Approval Rating retained the NDA, while the UPA had surpassed some points. In the meantime, other parties, which can weaken one side or the other, combine combined 155 seats. Since then, a lot has happened recently on Wednesday, when the Modi government achieved great power among politics and improving the economy of the country unexpectedly, India achieved its highest ranking on the world, at the global level. Ranked a jump of 23 positions in Rank 77, easy to do business.
    Meanwhile, the Prime Minister dedicated the statue of unity to the country on the 143th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and a few days ago Subhash Chandra Bose and 75th anniversary was celebrated.
    At the same time, Rahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor continued playing incredible religion cards.
    Rahul Gandhi had said in Gujarat and Karnataka elections that he had a better understanding of Hinduism than there was between BJP and RSS. Tharoor polarized in the other direction after the invention of Hindus in Pakistan, after declaring BJP as a scorpion on Shivling and not removing it from slippers By announcing the removal, good Hindus have provoked nationalist religious Indians with their remarks on the bad Hindus.
    More importantly, the Supreme Court has delayed its hearings in the Ayodhya case and there is a possibility of further delay. This has given an opportunity to unite the Indians who want to build a magnificent Ram Temple on the grand Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya.
    Now they are emphasizing not only on the government but also the opposition that now there is no delay in the construction of the Ram temple by means of law or through some other medium. That is, now Ramlalla will sit under the shirt rather than the chic.
    Rajya Sabha MP Rakesh Sinha has informed that he will bring a personal bill in Parliament to build a Ram temple.
    Rajya Sabha MP Rakesh Sinha said, “If I say that I will bring a private member bill to build a Ram temple in Rajya Sabha, what will be the stand of the Congress and the Left parties on it? I want to ask if they are going to support private member bills?
    Mohan Bhagwat has clearly said that either the Supreme Court should hear the daily prayers of the Ram temple and give the decision soon. If the Supreme Court can not do this, then the government should make laws and make the way for the construction of the Ram temple. “