New Delhi: Congress leaders Saturday took strong exception to the Indian Council for Historical Research (ICHR) omitting Jawaharlal Nehru’s image from the ‘Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrations to mark the 75th year of India’s independence.
Congress leaders shared screenshots of the ICHR website showing photographs of Mahatma Gandhi, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh, B R Ambedkar, Sardar Vallabhai Patel, Rajendra Prasad, Madan Mohan Malviya and Veer Savarkar but Nehru’s picture was missing.
There was no immediate comment available from the ICHR. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh termed the move “atrocious” while party spokesperson Gaurav Gogoi said no country removes the first prime minister from a website about the freedom struggle and said it was “petty” and “injustice”.Another leader Shashi Tharoor said ICHR had “disgraced” itself by omitting Nehru’s picture.
“Which other country would remove their first head of state from a website about the freedom struggle? ICHR’s removal of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Abdul Kalam Azad is petty and an injustice. India will not forget that the RSS chose to stay away from the Indian freedom movement,” Gogoi said on Twitter.
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Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera asked if one’s stature would rise by removing Nehru’s photo. “Will removing Nehru’s photo increase one’s stature? A dwarf will remain a dwarf,” he said in a tweet in Hindi.
“It is not merely petty but absolutely ahistorical to celebrate Azadi by omitting the pre-eminent voice of Indian freedom, Jawaharlal Nehru. One more occasion for ICHR to disgrace itself. This is becoming a habit,” said Tharoor while sharing the picture of the ‘Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrations.
Ramesh also shared the picture and said, “Not surprising from this regime and its toadies masquerading as scholars but atrocious nevertheless.”
