Hyderabad: A day after AICC Secretary G Chinna Reddy claimed that P V Narasimha Rao had sidelined Nehru-Gandhi family after becoming the prime minister, Rao’s grandson said the Congress leader’s statement was condemnable. He also sought an apology from the Gandhi family for injustice done to Rao.
In 2014, N V Subhash, Rao’s grandson, joined the BJP in 2014. Reacting to Reddy’s statement, he said his grandfather was the most trusted and loyal leader for Gandhi family and he had always guided them.
He further hit back at the Congress by saying that the party always neglected leaders other than those from the Nehru-Gandhi family. Narasimha Rao’s dead body was not even allowed to enter the headquarters of AICC in Delhi although all former PM’s memorial was built there, PTI quoted Subhash as saying.
Rao would inform Sonia Gandhi about the party activities and development initiatives of the government, and so on. He had even met Sonia personally and kept her updated on various development. However, Sonia was not interested in politics and didn’t want her kids to get into it, alleged Subhash.
To Reddy blaming Rao over the demolition of the Babri Masjid in the year 1992 and thus alienating Muslims from the party, Subhash said his grandfather had taken all the necessary steps to stop the demolition. HE questioned if that was the case then how the Congress was in power from 2004 to 2014.
Subhash further claimed that although Congress leaders always gave credit to Nehru-Gandhi family for success, they discredited Narasimha Rao for party’s failures. The economic liberalisation policy was initiated by the Narasimha Rao government, but the Congress never spoke about it.
He further asked Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to apologise to the nation for the injustice done to Narasimha Rao and pay him rich tributes on the occasion of his 98th birth anniversary today.
Reacting to Subhash’s accusation, Chinna Reddy said Congress gave opportunities to the two leaders (Narasimha Rao and Pranab Mukherjee) as both of them were great intellectuals. He was misunderstood and that he had great respect for Rao and that he did not mean to insult him. “It is politics when Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Congress insulted Narasimha Rao and Pranab Mukherjee. Congress respected them a lot,” he said. Reddy further said that he regretted if he had hurt anyone by his comments.