PM’s assertion assumes significance as it comes in the backdrop of warning shot given by international credit agency Moody’s Analytics and growing protests by artists, writers and scientists over rising intolerance.
Marking 140th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who is credited for bringing together over 500 principalities to unite India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that ushering an atmosphere of “unity, peace and harmony” were the first conditions if India has to move forward and attain new heights of development.
Addressing thousands of participants at Rajpath, who had come to join government sponsored event – Run for Unity – PM Modi said, “If the country has to move forward and attain new heights of development…, then the first condition is unity, peace and harmony…Unity is our biggest strength.”
PM’s assertion assumes significance as it comes in the backdrop of warning shot given by international credit agency Moody’s Analytics and growing protests by artists, writers and scientists over rising intolerance.
Moody’s Analytics, a division of Moody’s Corporation has advised PM Modi to keep his party members “in check or risk losing domestic and global credibility” and deliver promised reforms if he does not want to risk losing domestic and global credibility.
Announcing that ‘Ek Bharat Shreshth Bharat’ scheme will soon be launched under which one state will choose another state each year to learn about other state's culture and language, PM said, “I have formed a small committee which is preparing its modalities.”
PM also used the occasion to remember former PM Indira Gandhi for sacrificing her life on October 31 that coincides with Sardar Patel’s birth anniversary but at the same time did not forget to take a dig at dynastic politics. Recalling that Patel never promoted any family member in political life he said, it has become a bane of our politics in current times.
But this did not find any favour from Congress that mocked at BJP’s attempts to appropriate the legacy of its leader Sardar Patel and asked the PM to release the communique signed by Sardar Patel for banning the RSS after the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi and the correspondence Sardar had with the then RSS chief MS Golwalkar and Syama Prasad Mookerjee of the Jan Sangh.
“Sardar Patel had given a detailed order banning the RSS... First they should read it, then they will run in the opposite direction,” Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma said.
“They do not have heroes and icons and therefore they are borrowing them and borrowing them foolishly.... Sardar Patel had taken important decisions and one of them was banning the RSS,” charged Sharma.
Meanwhile, upset at seeing posters put up by the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) mentioning Patel's action of banning "deshdrohi" RSS, some swayamsevaks have sent a legal notice to the Congress.
The notice sent on behalf of Sandeep Kulkarni and Rakesh Mudgal sought an apology "for making defamatory/spurious statement against RSS, failing which my clients shall be left with no alternative except to approach the court for criminal and civil legal actions entirely at your risk and cost."
The hoardings said "Many many salutations to 'Iron Man' Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel who unified the country and banned anti-India RSS".
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