Sardar Patel was a Congressman, internal differences have nothing to do with BJP: CPI MP on HM Shah's remark

New Delhi: CPI MP P. Santhosh on Saturday criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks on Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, accusing the BJP of selectively interpreting history and attempting to portray the former Deputy Prime Minister as its own leader.

He further said that Sardar Patel was a Congressman and that internal differences have nothing to do with the BJP.

Speaking to IANS, Santhosh said that Sardar Patel was a prominent minister in the Jawaharlal Nehru-led Cabinet and played an important role in the early years of independent India.

"Sardar Patel was a renowned minister in the Nehru Cabinet, and who was behind it? Was he a BJP nominee? Was he a Sangh Parivar nominee? More importantly, Sardar Patel did a fantastic job by banning the RSS soon after Mahatma Gandhi's assassination," he said.

Questioning HM Shah's interpretation of Patel's legacy, the CPI MP alleged that the BJP and its ideological affiliates were attempting to selectively claim historical figures.

"How can Amit Shah justify portraying Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in that way? These people are so desperate because they cannot find anything in history," Santhosh said.

He further alleged that the BJP and the Sangh Parivar were not part of India's independence movement and had therefore adopted what he described as a "pick-and-choose policy" while referring to national leaders.

"No Mahatma Gandhi is fit for them, and no Jawaharlal Nehru is fit for them. Obviously, they are trying to make Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel their own man, but history is totally against them," he said.

Santhosh stressed that Patel was a Congressman and said that differences of opinion within a political party should not be linked to the BJP.

"Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was a Congressman. Of course, there may be differences of opinion within a party, but that has nothing to do with the BJP. Patel was right in banning the RSS," he added.

This comes as Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that Sardar Patel did not receive the respect he deserved during the Congress period and the party consistently attempted to sideline and forget him.

Addressing the 'Ekta Run' event organised in New Delhi on the occasion of the 151st birth anniversary of the country's first Deputy Prime Minister, HM Shah said: "For many years, India did not accord Sardar Patel the respect he deserved. The Congress party consistently attempted to sideline and forget Sardar Sahab, but a radiant personality like his can never be erased from the nation's memory."

"When Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, he honoured Sardar Patel's legacy by building the Statue of Unity, the world's tallest statue. Through this monumental tribute, Prime Minister Modi introduced Sardar Patel's towering contribution and remarkable personality to the entire nation," he added.

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