Kumar Ketkar - Modi govt wants to destroy Nehru-Gandhi legacy

Making a frontal attack on RSS and BJP here on Saturday, senior journalist Kumar Ketkar said that the Narendra Modi government at the Centre is trying to erase the legacy of country’s freedom movement with a motive to impose the RSS agenda of Hindu Rashtra on the country. Speaking as the chief guest on the theme of “India after Rajiv Gandhi and his legacies” organised by the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) to mark the 25th death anniversary of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, Ketkar said, “Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are not the only enemies of BJP.


The entire legacy of India’s freedom movement is also the enemy of BJP. This is because BJP does not have any legacy.” “But you (BJP) can’t destroy the legacy of Nehru and Gandhi. We will preserve it,” the senior journalist said. “You can not destroy the legacies of freedom movement by Nehru-Gandhi by changing the name of Planning Commission or defaming JNU,” he added

He said that BJP wanted to defame India’s first prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru by declassifying the files regarding Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. “But they did not find anything in it against Nehru and have kept quite now,” he said. Ketkar also pointed out how Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP tried to belittle the position of Mahatma Gandhi by linking the latter with the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan on streets and roads. “You can’t reduce the stature of Mahatma Gandhi who is known all over the world for the unparalleled message of ahimsa (non-violence) he gave to the world,” Ketkar said.

Giving the reason as to why BJP and RSS are opposed to Gandhi and Nehru, he said: “While Gandhi tried to unite people of all religions by saying ‘Allah, Ishwar tere naam’ (Allah and Ishwar are the names of the same God), Nehru strengthened democracy. And these ideologies clashed with RSS ideology which advocated for Hindu Rashtra.” “The ‘akhand bharat’ (undivided India) agenda of RSS is fraudulent. If they believe in ‘akhand bharat’, why are they driving away Bangladeshis? Are Bangladeshis not part of Akhand Bharat?” Ketkar asked.


Referring to Modi’s oft-repeated slogans of “Digital India”, Ketkar said: “It is nothing new. It is not Modi’s idea. It is borrowed from Rajiv Gandhi. Rajiv Gandhi spoke about digital India way back in 1985,” he said. “RSS does not teach imagination and invention. It only teaches hatred,” Ketkar alleged. Till 1977, RSS did not even unfurl tricolour on its offices, he pointed out. 
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/modi-govt-wants-to-destroy-nehru-gandhi-legacy-journalist-kumar-ketkar-2812647/

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