Light a lamp to symbolise Amar Jawan Jyoti, says Shashi Tharoor
New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday urged "well-wishers of inclusive India" to symbolise the Amar Jawan Jyoti by lighting a lamp tonight and on January 29. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wished people on Republic Day and posted a picture of the Amar Jawan Jyoti at its erstwhile position at India Gate. "On Republic Day in 1950, our country took the first step in the right direction with confidence. Salute to that first step of truth and equality. Greetings on Republic Day. Jai Hind," Gandhi tweeted along with the picture.
Tharoor also urged people to play Mahatma Gandhi's favourite hymn, "Abide With Me", in their homes at 7 PM on January 29, the day of Beating Retreat ceremony. The Amar Jawan Jyoti at the India Gate was merged with the eternal flame at the National War Memorial (NWM) last Friday. The Congress has accused the BJP government of "removing history" by "extinguishing" the Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate and merging it with the immortal flame at National War Memorial. "Our colleagues at @ProfCong &all well-wishers of #InclusiveIndia are invited to light a lamp to symbolise #AmarJawanJyoti at 7 pm tonight & on 29th night, and to play Gandhi ji's favourite hymn, "Abide With Me", in their homes at 7 pm on 29 Jan," Tharoor tweeted, using the hashtag 'WeWillNotRetreat from our values'. Meanwhile, a day after RPN Singh joined the BJP, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday took a dig at the saffron party with rhyming sentences in Hindi and the phrase "Congress-yukt BJP". Just weeks ahead of Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, Singh quit the Congress party on Tuesday and joined the BJP, in a setback for the grand old party. A Union minister in the UPA-II government, the 57-year-old leader joined the BJP at the party headquarters here, evoking a sharp reaction from Congress leaders, including its spokesperson Supriya Shrinate, who called him a "coward".
On Wednesday, Tharoor took to Twitter to say in Hindi, "'Chorh kar ja rahe hain ghar apna, shayad unke kuch aur sapne hain, ab udhar bhi sab apna sa hai, ab udhar bhi toh sabhi apne hain. (Congress-yukt BJP)'".
