Indira death anniversary: Ramachandra Guha criticises Rahul Gandhi over his tweet

Bengaluru, Oct 31: Eminent historian Ramachandra Guha on Wednesday, October 31, criticised Congress president Rahul Gandhi over his tweet remembering former prime minister Indira Gandhi on her 34th death anniversary.

In his tweet, Rahul said: "Remembering Dadi today with a deep sense of happiness. She taught me so much and gave me unending love. She gave so much of herself to her people. I am very proud of her."

Guha was not okay with the expression "her people" in the Congress president's tweet and he tweeted: "Her people" is a phrase redolent of feudal patronage and arrogance. Indira Gandhi did not own India or Indians. "Her work" or "her job" or even "her calling" would have been more appropriate.

Indira Gandhi was India's third prime minister (excluding Gulzarilal Nanda who was care-taker PM on two occasions) who was gunned down by her own Sikh bodyguards at her residence on the morning of October 31, 1984. Indira, daughter of India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, was killed in the aftermath of Operation Blue Star, the Indian Army's assault on the Golden Temple in Amritsar that left the Sikh pilgrimage site severely damaged. Her death saw a severe reaction in Delhi and around in the form of anti-Sikh riots that killed several people.

The current president, Rahul Gandhi, grandson of Indira, was 14 years old at the time of her assassination. Indira's elder son Rajiv Gandhi was made the prime minister after her death and in the following election, he won a massive mandate - numbers that are still to be matched by any party/leader in the Lok Sabha.