Indira Gandhi, Sardar Patel worked for country's unity: Selja

Haryana Congress president Kumari Selja on Thursday hailed the contributions of late prime minister Indira Gandhi and the country's first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, saying the two leaders had worked for the unity and integrity of the country.

The Congress leader paid tributes to Gandhi on her 35th death anniversary and said that the late prime minister had sacrificed herself for the country.

Gandhi was assassinated by her bodyguards in 1984.

"She nationalised many banks. Today, the country owes her for the voice she gave to all sections including poor, common man, farmers and Dalits," Selja said in a release.

Crediting Gandhi for taking several historic steps for the country's poor, Selja said the former prime minister had a special bond with Haryana.

 

"She had a connection with Haryana the day she was born. Haryana was nurtured by her. The farmers of the state got most benefit and the minimum support price for farmers is also due to Indira ji," the state Congress chief said.

"Under the present BJP led government the condition of the farmers is worse," she said.

Selja also remembered Patel on his 144th birth anniversary which falls on the same day.

Born on October 31, 1875 at Nadiad in Gujarat, Patel is credited for merger of over 560 states into the Union of India.

Hitting out at the BJP, she said, "The BJP does not have any leader who is associated with the freedom struggle. Therefore, today they take Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel ji's name as a recourse."

"Sardar Patel was against fundamentalism... he always stood for secularism," she added.

Selja further said that today, the BJP talks about 'Statue of Unity', but it has "conveniently forgotten" that the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the banks of which this statue has been erected is a gift of Congress and late Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru.

"The dam was named after Sardar Patel by Nehru," she said.

The Congress party always fought for farmers, poor and always strived to take the country forward.

"We have to move forward by taking inspiration from Indira ji's sacrifice and Sardar Patel's life and make the policies of Congress reach the people. Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party's former president Rahul Gandhi are working in this direction," she said.