Narendra Modi accuses Gandhis of 'erasing' historical Indian figures

New Delhi, Nov 12: Gujarat Chief Minister and

's PM candidate

hurled serious allegations against the Gandhis. Remembering Maulana Azad and Acharya JB Kriplani on their 125th birth anniversary, Modi on Tuesday, Nov 12 said that there are historical figures who have been erased from public memory just because they "did not belong to a particular family."

Taking a dig at dynastic politics, Modi wrote in his blog, "Just because they did not belong to a particular family, should we erase them from public memory or remember them less?"

The history of India is the history or the struggle of countless men and women who devoted a lifetime to the clarion call of the motherland, he wrote.

Just because they did not belong to a particular family, should we erase them?

These comments came amidst the raging controversy between Congress and BJP on claiming legacy of stalwart freedom fighter Sardar Patel. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Mr Modi had sparred over Sardar Patel's legacy recently.

"There can be no greater disservice to our history than viewing these stalwarts through the narrow prism of political partisanship. It is high time we realise that these are leaders who transcended barriers of caste, community, creed or party lines. Their ideals and legacy are not for any party but for the entire nation to get inspired,"

Modi wrote, in an apparent reference to last month's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement that he was proud he belonged to the party to which Sardar Patel belonged.

Paying tributes to Maulana Azad, who was India's first education minister, Mr Modi wrote "Maulana Azad will also be remembered for his steadfast opposition to partition of India."

The Gujarat chief minister welcomed Centre's move to launch an online portal containing digital archives of Maulana Azad, but questioned the delay in launching it so far. "Should things like this not have come much earlier?"

On Acharya JB Kripalani, Mr Modi wrote, "Acharya Kripalani created history when he moved the first ever no-confidence motion against the Government of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in 1963."

OneIndia News
(With PTI inputs)