The veteran leader’s underlining of “sharp exchange” between Nehru and Patel punctures the Congress’ efforts at portraying cordial relations between the two on matters of national importance.
Just when we thought that the Congress-BJP war over Patel was getting cold, senior BJP leader L.K. Advani raked up the issue bringing home the hot topic one again.
In his latest post on his blog, Advani claimed that country’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru had called Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel “a total communalist” after the then home minister demanded the army should be sent to Hyderabad to deal with the unrest.
Quoting from unedited translation of a Malyali book, “The Story of an Era Told without Ill Will”, Advani said that the cabinet meeting which occasioned a sharp exchange between Nehru and Patel on the Hyderabad issue took place shortly before the “police action” in 1948.
The book is written by MK Nair who was an IAS officer of 1947 batch and was believed to be close to Sardar Patel.
Advani cited from the book and said on April 30, 1948, the Indian Army fully withdrew from Hyderabad and the Razakars, a private militia, began to behave licentiously all over the state. C. Rajagopalachari, who was the Governor General, and Patel believed the army should be sent to put an end to the wantonness of the Nizam of Hyderabad. Keeping his view forward, at the cabinet meeting Patel demanded the army be sent to end the terror-regime in Hyderabad.
“Nehru who usually spoke calmly, peacefully and with international etiquette, lost his composure and said, ‘You are a total communalist. I will never accept your recommendation’. Patel remained unperturbed but left the room with his papers,” Advani quoted from the book.
Advani said that Nehru was concerned about international ramifications of the situation in Hyderabad but was incensed at a meeting called by Rajagopalachari on seeing a letter from the British high commissioner which protested rape of 70-year-old nun of a convent by Razakars.
“Rajaji in his typical style described the situation in Hyderabad. He felt that, to safeguard India’s reputation, a decision should not be delayed any longer. Nehru was concerned about international repercussions. Rajaji then played his trump card — the letter from the British high commissioner.
“Nehru read it. His face turned red … Anger choked his words. He shot out of his chair, slammed his fist on the table and cried out, ‘Let’s not waste a moment. We’ll teach them a lesson.’ Rajaji immediately told Menon to inform the commander in chief to proceed according to the plan,” Advani said, quoting from the book.
Advani said in the blog that instructions were then passed on to the army for action.
The significance of Advani’s blog rises in the context of Congress continuously trying to rebut BJP’s claim that Patel was not given his due when in Congress because of the Nehru-Gandhi family’s importance.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has been seeking to project itself as an inheritor of Patel’s legacy of being a strong administrator.
The veteran leader’s underlining of “sharp exchange” between Nehru and Patel punctures the Congress’ efforts at portraying cordial relations between the two on matters of national importance.
Last week, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had asserted Patel’s secularism and his Congress roots to corner BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s attempt to paint the Congress in poor light over propagating the legacy of Patel. At a separate function days later, Modi dismissed Singh’s argument, reminding that Patel’s secularism was not meant for a vote bank.
