MP Cong's book ahead of Assembly polls hits a ideological war against ruling BJP

PRAVEEN DWIVEDI

Bhopal, Jan 15 (IANS) A book titled - "Congress and Rashtranirman ki Gaatha" elaborating the roles of Congress before and after independence, on the other side, raised questions on BJP's ideological body -- Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its leaders' role for the same, is a fresh subject of contention between the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress in Madhya Pradesh.

With this book, which is in real sense a "booklet" for Congress workers for taking its contents to the people at the grassroot level during the election campaign, seems a strategic step by the Madhya Pradesh unit of the Congress ahead of the state Assembly elections due at the end of the year.

With this book, the Congress seems willingly daring the BJP to debate on its ideology and the RSS.

The book explains about the role played by the contemporary Congress leaders and freedom fighters in making the nation free, including the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Subhas Chandra Bose, Lokmanya Tilak and Mahatma Gandhi.

At same time, the Congress made an ideological attack on the BJP, through questioning contemporary RSS members, including its founder -- Keshav Baliram Hedgewar and V.D. Savarkar.

The book written by senior journalist Piyush Bable and the media advisor of Madhya Pradesh Congress President Kamal Nath have pointed on various issues but the content of 47th number page could make BJP leaders furious.

The author has put V.D. Savarkar and Pakistan's founder Mohd. Ali Jinnah in the same category. It has mentioned that "both Mohd. Ali Jinnah and V.D. Savarkar were against Congress' 'Bharat Chhodo movement' (Quit India Movement)".

"Jinnah demanded the formation of Pakistan on the basis of religion (Islam), and Savarkar too had demanded to make India a Hindu rashtra. Therefore, both Jinnah and Savarkar had a similar hardliner ideology," it said.

Babele also wrote that Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, the founder of Jana Sangh was a "minister in Jinnah's Muslim League in Bengal". He also wrote, "RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar went to jail in 1923 and at that time, he was in Congress and participated in Asahyog Andolan. Hedgewar left the Congress in 1925 and formed the RSS."

Anand Jat, a Madhya Pradesh Congress spokesperson, told IANS, "Babele has tried to put a clear picture about Congress and RSS leaders before and after the independence of the country. All the facts presented in the book are verified. If the BJP have any objection, they can debate on it. It is a showcase of ideological differences between the Congress and BJP."

Sources said the Congress will distribute this book to its members of 'Bal Congress', the youth wing the party formed under the leadership of former Chief Minister Kamal Nath ahead of 2018 Assembly elections.

Senior BJP leader and Madhya Pradesh's Medical Education Minister Vishvas Sarang hit back at the Congress, saying the Nehru-Gandhi family has always insulted great freedom fighters and the newly released book is a follow-up of this trend.

"Today's Congress is a private firm of Gandhi family. Congress people have no right to present distorted facts about RSS leaders. They can't digest the fact and that is why the Congress has always presented wrong facts before the people."