PM, Modi slug it out over Sardar Patel's legacy

Gujarat CM says India would have been different had Iron Man been first PM; 'Patel's vision was secular': Manmohan

A political spat took place here  over India’s Iron Man —  Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

BJP’s prime ministerial candidate and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, while sharing a dais  with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, said India’s fate would have been different had he (Sardar Patel) been the first prime minister of India.

After the CM’s speech,  Singh, appeared to question the BJP leader’s claim on Patel’s legacy. He said the first home minister of the country was a member of the Congress and his vision was secular. The two leaders were speaking at the inaugural function of the Sardar Patel Museum here on Tuesday.

Recalling an incident, which showed Patel’s vision, Modi said, “In 1919, Sardar sahib was a municipal counsellor in Ahmedabad. At that time, he had proposed women’s reservation in local bodies. This was his vision then. Imagine what all he could have given us. He also contributed a lot in urban and town planning as the mayor of Ahmedabad.” (AROUND THE COUNTRY WITH MODI)

“There would always be a regret among all Indians (for Patel not being made the first PM of Independent India). If Sardar sahib was the first PM, the destiny of the country would have been different,” Modi said in the presence of Manmohan Singh and Governor Kamla Beniwal.

Singh seemed prepared for Modi’s salvo. He said Patel was a Congressman and that his vision was secular. “Sardar Patel dedicated his entire life for the unity and integrity of India and for the people of all communities,” the prime minister said.

Singh expressed his happiness for being with the Congress. He said, “I am very happy with the fact that Sardar Patel's relation was with the same political party to which I belong. He worked tirelessly to strengthen the Indian National Congress.”

Modi made an attempt at claiming Patel’s legacy. He said: “The work that Sardar had done for uniting the country has become a heritage for all of us. His life was dedicated to the country’s unity. But today, be it Maoism or terrorism, there are many efforts to break the unity of the country. Today, when we stand at the Sardar memorial, I want to tell the youth who have taken up guns and bombs: no matter whatever your motivations are, you are not going to succeed. This is the land of Gandhi and Sardar and the way of guns and bombs will not succeed.”

 

The prime minister also showered praise on Patel and spoke about his relationship with Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.  “Gandhiji loved Sardar like his son and they spent 16 months together in jail,” the PM said. On the Nehru-Patel relation, he said both were united in many ways and respected each other's views.

Later, in a tweet, Modi said he was denied time to “discuss crucial issues of Gujarat” by the prime minister, who preferred to visit the Congress headquarters here instead.

“Unfortunately, the prime minister refused to give time to discuss Gujarat’s key issues but preferred to visit Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan, the state Congress office,” Modi said on his Twitter account. “We sought time from PM to discuss crucial issues of Gujarat, including the Narmada Dam height, farmer issues & floods but our request was denied,” the Gujarat chief minister complained.

Modi has planned a statue of Patel, billed as the world’s tallest structure, at Kevadia near the Narmada Dam. The foundation stone laying ceremony of the statue is slated for Thursday, the 138th birth anniversary of Patel. Modi has invited several Union ministers to attend the programme.