Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday castigated the practitioners of political untouchability, saying the national heritage should not be divided and all leaders who have worked and died for the nation should be given equal regard irrespective of their ideologies and affiliations.
Also, he took a veiled swipe at Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra embroiled in controversies over his land deals. The PM said, “These days we all know what kind of talk is going on because of sons-in-law.”
While taking part in the birth centenary celebrations of veteran Congress leader Girdhari lal Dogra in Jammu on Friday, the PM said, “There should not be political untouchability. Everybody in public life works with certain ideology but he lives and dies for the nation. We should be proud of them and have equal regard for anybody who has worked and died for the nation, irrespective of their political ideologies and affiliations.”
In his 15-minute speech the PM recalled that soon after Atal Bihari Vajpayee took over as Prime Minister, a senior Communist leader had died in Kerala. Vajpayee told lK Advani to attend his last rites even though the Communist leader had steadfastly opposed BJP, the PM said.
“Political untouchability does not work. There is a need to have the same feeling and same respect for any one, who worked for the nation. Had Dograji been alive, he would have opposed us, he would have opposed even his son-in-law. But we should get an inspiration from his life,” he said.
Unfortunately, politics has come to such a pass that very few politicians are remembered after they die, he said. “But there are some exceptions, who live even after their death, because of the work they do during their lifetime. Girdhari lal Dogra was one of them.
“That he had the opportunity to present budget for 26 times as Finance Minister of the State is a rare thing. It happens when you have acceptability and stability in political life and a commitment to the responsibility given to you,” he said.
Modi, who saw an exhibition on Dogra’s life put up on the occasion, said, “I noticed that no member of his family is seen in his political life in any of these photos displayed at the exhibition. There is only one photo in which family members can be seen and that is his last rites. “It’s not an easy thing. He had such a long political career and worked with so many Prime Ministers, still no family member was seen in his political journey. It is a difficult task. This is message for today’s politicians. This gives inspiration. He maintained the decorum of political life,” he said.
Modi’s veiled attack on the first family that too in the presence of leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and Dr Karan Singh invited loud applause from the audience in the Zorawar Singh Auditorium of Jammu University.
While praising the leadership qualities of veteran Congress leader, also father-in-law of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Modi said, “Girdhari lal Dogra was a good judge of people. He chose Arun Jaitley as his son-in-law. Though there was no meeting point between their ideologies but instead of offering his chair he married off his daughter to him. And these days we all know what kind of talk is going on because of son-in-laws”.
Anticipating a tough contest on the floor of Parliament in the forthcoming Monsoon Session, the PM signalled towards Azad and said we are all sitting under the same roof, enjoying each others’ company but just wait to see the ‘muqabla’ in the coming days.
Earlier paying glowing tributes to Dogra Azad in his brief address, he had reminded the BJP leaders that Dogra was “24 carot Congressman”, who never “compromised with regionalism, casteism and communalism”.
Paying tributes in the memory of Gl Dogra, Chief Minister Mufti Mohd Sayeed described him as a statesman who always remained connected with the people at the grassroots level. “He was a perfect blend of competence, simplicity and honesty and the fact that he never lost an election and was Finance Minister for 27 long years bear testimony to his credentials as one of the greatest political leaders of his times,” he added.
Governor, NN Vohra, Union Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley, Deputy Chief Minister, Dr. Nirmal Singh, Minister of State for NE (Independent Charge) and in PMO, Dr. Jitendra Singh and MP and former Governor of J&K, Dr. Karan Singh, were also present on the occasion.