The BJP on Tuesday announced a 3-day programme to commemorate Bhagat Singh’s martyrdom and attacked Congress over its MP Shashi Tharoor’s remarks comparing JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar with the freedom fighter.
Demanding an apology from Congress and Tharoor, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said the Opposition party may have distanced itself from its MP’s comments but it was not adequate as he had not withdrawn it or expressed regret.
Javadekar alleged Tharoor said so with an eye on Kerala Assembly polls.
“What is Congress doingIJ For 12 years, it opposed Modi, for two years, it opposed development (under Modi), then it gave respectability to anti-India slogans raised in JNU and now insulting martyrs has become the identity of Congress under Rahul Gandhi,” he told the media at a party briefing.
BJP leaders across the country will pay tribute to the three martyrs on Wednesday, sing Singh’s favourite song ‘Rang de basanti chola’ on Holi the day after and, on the last day, burn effigies of the “mindset that insults martyr”, Javadekar said.
There is “anger” among people across the country over the episode and BJP will express it through the exercise, he said.
Pointing to reports that Kanhaiya’s posters have been used by Congress leaders in Assam, he said it showed the Opposition party was depending on “borrowed pictures”, said the BJP leader.