Is Modi using Gandhiji to 'gain acceptance'? Mahatma's grandson feels so

Modi has also mentioned Gandhiji in several of his speeches and even dedicated the cleanliness drive "Swacch Bharat Abhiyan" to the Father of the Nation.

Every time a prominent foreign leader visits India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes it a point to take them to Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad and enlightens them with Mahatma Gandhi's life and teachings. Whether it was Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe or Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu, Modi not only accompanied them to Sabarmati Ashram, but was also photographed sitting in Gandhi-style at a Charkha (spinning wheel).

Modi has also mentioned Gandhiji in several of his speeches and even dedicated the cleanliness drive "Swacch Bharat Abhiyan" to the Father of the Nation.

According to an AFP report , Mahatma Gandhi's grandson Arun Gandhi is of opinion that the Father of the Nation would have been "most unhappy" about the resurgence of Hindu nationalism under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"It's a very vicious cycle there and it's made worse with a right-wing government in power," the AFP report quoted Arun Gandhi as saying.

It was also reported that Arun Gandhi, in his book on Gandhi's teachings, has written that, "He (PM Modi) is just trying to use Gandhi like everyone else... to gain acceptance by the people."

In his book "The Gift of Anger", 84-year-old Arun recalls severals incidents of his interactions with the Mahatma and slo describes in detail how shocked he was to hear the news of Gandhiji's assasination.

On January 30, 1948, Mahatma Gandhi was shot dead at Birla House in Delhi. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi or Gandhiji was on his way to address a prayer meeting, when a "fanatic" Nathuram Godse fired three bullets from a Beretta 9 mm pistol into his chest from a point-blank range.

Gandhiji dedicated his life to discovering and pursuing truth and called his movement as satyagraha, which means "appeal to the truth". He strongly advocated non violence or ahimsa, and constantly urged his followers to strongly abide by it.

OneIndia News