Senior Congress chief and celebration’s Kerala unit chief Okay Sudhakaran on Monday courted one other controversy by saying India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was prepared to “compromise with communal fascism” to accommodate RSS chief Syama Prasad Mukherjee in his cupboard.
Sudhakaran, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, made the remarks whereas addressing an occasion on youngsters’s day, which marks Nehru’s start anniversary, in North Kerala’s Kannur district.
“Nehru is the image of the very best degree of democratic consciousness that made BR Ambedkar the regulation minister. He was magnanimous sufficient to make (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) RSS chief Syama Prasad Mukherjee a minister in his personal cupboard. He has large-heartedness to even compromise with communal fascism for democracy,” the senior Congress chief mentioned.
The Lok Sabha MP from Kannur additional mentioned there weren’t sufficient members within the opposition fold and but Nehru made Communist chief AK Gopalan the opposition chief in Lok Sabha.
“Nehru was a tall chief and needed to take all alongside within the spirit of democracy…,” he mentioned, including that such “inclusiveness” was lacking in politics as of late.
Mukherjee was the minister of commerce and business within the first Union cupboard led by Nehru from 1947 to 1950. He later give up the cupboard and based Bharatiya Jana Sangh, which later grew to become the Bharatiya Janata Social gathering (BJP), in 1951.
Hitting out at Sudhakaran, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan alleged the KPCC chief was attempting to justify RSS acts by equating with Nehru’s works. “He has quoted Nehru extensively to offer a clear chit to RSS. And that too he made this remark when the nation was remembering the tall chief,” Vijayan mentioned in a Fb publish. “He ought to keep in mind Nehru solely banned the RSS after Gandhiji’s killing. His utterances will make solely RSS comfortable, none others.”
Former Kerala PCC president Mullapally Ramachandran mentioned the “celebration will talk about about latest statements of Sudhakaran”.
The Indian Union of Muslim League (IUML), an ally of the Congress within the southern state, additionally criticised the PCC chief’s remarks. “We’re not glad with the PCC president’s observations and subsequent rationalization,” mentioned celebration chief Abdul Rehman Randathani. “The celebration will talk about it intimately.”
Nevertheless, late on Monday evening, Sudhakaran retracted his assertion, saying his phrases have been “misconstrued and misinterpreted”. “My intention was to spotlight democratic beliefs of Nehru and his large-heartedness. However I used to be quoted out of context and phrases have been misinterpreted and twisted,” he mentioned. “I specific remorse and withdraw my phrases in the event that they damage anybody.”
Sudhakaran’s controversial remarks got here days after he sparked a row by saying he had given “safety” to RSS shakhas in Kannur throughout his days as a Congress scholar chief.
“When the RSS launched shakhas in locations like Edakkad and Thottada in Kannur, there have been makes an attempt to assault them by Communists,” the Kannur MP mentioned final week. “However I despatched my folks to guard them. It’s my responsibility to guard people who find themselves in misery.”
His statements evoked sharp criticism from IUML, an ally of the Congress in Kerala’s opposition United Democratic Entrance (UDF).
“There shouldn’t be any phrases or actions by democratic forces to legitimise the RSS,” claimed IUML legislator MK Muneer. “Sudhakaran advised me he was with the Congress (O) these days after the Congress break up in 1969. He additionally mentioned be it now or then, giving safety to those that are in misery was a part of his character.”
Asking leaders to speak in clear phrases to keep away from confusion, the senior Muslim Legue chief and former state minister, added that Congress chief Rahul Gandhi had made it clear lately in Wayanad (north Kerala) that individuals who have a “smooth nook for the RSS” ought to go away the celebration.
The ruling Communist Social gathering of India (Marxist) mentioned latest statements of Sudhakaran confirmed his inclination in direction of saffron forces. “He has confirmed past doubt that he’s a Congress chief with RSS coronary heart,” mentioned CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan.