New Delhi: Hitting out at the Congress over the vilification of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the BJP on Monday attacked Congress over alleged discussions during Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting held over the weekend and claimed that a leader from Kashmir had vilified Patel, one of the icons of the party.
Highlighting reports by a section of the media on the discussions at the meeting of the CWC – the Congress party's highest decision-making body –BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said that it was claimed that Sardar Patel was in league with Muhammad Ali Jinnah to keep Jammu and Kashmir out of India.
"It was published in the news today… At the CWC meeting, Tariq Hameed Karra spoke of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. It (his remarks), are objectionable," Patra said, adding that Karra had apparently claimed that Sardar Patel had met with the Pakistan founder.
Reacting to the allegations of BJP, the Congress has denied that any such discussion took place.
Tweeting a clip of the news story, senior Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said, "Seems spreading canards and lies, on behalf of Modi govt, has become the norm for some newspapers. Never question the BJP govt, spread lies about Opposition, give cover fire to Modi govt to justify lies driven Press conferences….Is the new standard of journalism."
However, Karra – a former minister of Jammu and Kashmir –said that his remarks have been "misrepresented."
"I don't know what quarters want to misrepresent it. I read in a leading newspaper today where they had misrepresented facts. It has to be seen who said these things outside, it's serious," he said.
"I had said that Pandit Nehru had asserted that Jammu and Kashmir be made a part of India, he didn't want it to be called a theocratic state like Pakistan. I said that Sardar Patel had said that even if J&K goes towards Pakistan, negotiations can be held regarding Junagadh and Hyderabad (two erstwhile princely states)," he added.