Congress, BJP spar over Sardar Patel's legacy

Ahmedabad: Congress and BJP today engaged in a public spat over Sardar Patel's legacy with Narendra Modi saying India's "fate and face" would have been different had he been its first prime minister and Manmohan Singh reminding the saffron party's PM candidate of the 'Iron Man's' "secular outlook".The function to mark the inauguration of the renovated Sardar Patel Museum virtually turned into a debate between the Prime Minister and Modi over claim to the legacy of Patel, independent India's first Home Minister."The country will always have one complaint, every Indian will always regret and feel the pain...Had Sardar Saheb been our first prime minister, the country's fate would have been different, the country's face would have been different," Modi, who is seen as trying to fashion his image after the 'Iron Man', said.Modi has been targeting the Nehru-Gandhi family for promoting "nepotism" and his comment could be seen as a veiled attack on the country's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.Singh, as if certain that Modi would try to appropriate Patel's legacy, reminded him of the leader's association with the Congress and his secular outlook."Patel's outlook was totally secular. He had great faith in the country's integrity. He had once said the entire country is like my village and people of all communities are like my friends and relatives. I am proud to be a member of a political party with which he was associated," he said, apparently targeting Modi and BJP for Hindutva bias. "In his entire life Sardar Patel worked to strengthen the Indian National Congress. He was also appointed president of the party at its Karachi session," Singh said, reminding the BJP stalwart, whose election campaign slogan is "Congress mukt Bharat (Congress-free India)" of Patel's deep association with the party.The gathering, which comprised mainly Congress followers, cheered the Prime Minister every time he seemed to be hitting out at Modi and even shouted slogans in support of Singh when he stood up to make his speech.After initial exchange of pleasantries when both leaders were seen talking to each other smilingly, the temperature of the electoral arena spilled over to the dais with the two crossing swords over Patel in their speeches.Referring to Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Patel and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the Prime Minister said, "Certain things were common among all of them - faith in India's unity, a secular outlook, empathy for the poor and the weak, fortitude and tolerance for ideologies other than their's.""Those who are here would agree that today these ideals are lacking. We need to halt from time to time and remember what are those lofty thoughts which form the foundations of our country," he said.Union minister Dinsha Patel, who addressed the gathering after Modi, also did not spare the BJP's prime ministerial challenger, saying, "Some people talk big and some do great work. Sardar Patel had done historical work".Patel's statement was greeted with loud cheers by the crowd.Congress leaders have often dubbed Modi as 'Feku' (braggart) who blows his own trumpet over development. Modi, in his speech had referred to Patel having sought reservation for women in the Ahmedabad municipality in 1991, which was contested by Dinsha."What Modiji said, the year was not 1919 but 1926. Sardar Patel had introduced reservation for women in Ahmedabad municipality in 1926," the Union minister said pointing at the error, which too was greeted by the gathering with resounding cheers.Earlier, lauding Patel's commitment to the country's unity and integrity, Modi said, "Numerous conspiracies are going on to break the nation, be it terrorism or Maoism. Even you (the PM) once described Maoism as the biggest threat to the country.""I will appeal to the misguided youth who have taken the path of bomb and gun to join the national mainstream. This is the land of Gandhi and Sardar Patel where they will never succeed, no matter who is inspiring them."Those who walk the path of bomb and gun do no good to the country, their society or their community, rather they do greatest damage to their own society and community," Modi said as he praised Patel for bequeathing the country the "great legacy of a national unity".Modi, whose development model has been slammed by Congress, appeared to take a dig at the Prime Minister when he rattled off the number of awards Gujarat had received under him for good governance."I am grateful to you for instituting awards during your tenure for states excelling in good governance. You started this practice in the last six-seven years and each year Gujarat government got an award."Many Union ministries also give such awards and, under you, the Gujarat government got 90 awards. I am thankful to you for that. Gujarat received more than 200 awards from international agencies like the United Nations, WHO and World Bank in the last 10 years," he said."I am thankful that international agencies, especially you have recognised our work. This will give us new encouragement and infuse in us fresh enthusiasm to work towards good governance," he said.