Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday asked if people like Motilal Nehru and Subhash Chandra Bose, who had quit the Congress in the past, were also traitors. He was responding to Congress party leaders who have labelled Rajya Sabha MP Jyotiraditya Scindia as "traitor" after he joined the BJP earlier this year.
Chouhan and Scindia gathered in Gwalior for a three-day drive here offering membership to former Congress workers on Saturday. The drive was also attended by Union minister Narendra Tomar and state BJP president VD Sharma, among others. As it was launched, Congress workers in thousands took to streets opposing Scindia and calling him and his colleagues "gaddar" (traitor) and "loktantra ke hatyare" (murderers of democracy).
Chouhan in his address spoke about Motilal Nehru, father of India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who had urged the Congress in 1923 to contest local polls. After the party's refusal, "he left the party and formed Swaraj party, so was Motilal Nehru also a gaddar?” asked Chouhan.
Referring to Bose, Chouhan claimed the freedom fighter was not allowed to function properly by Nehru as Congress chief. Was Bose also a traitor when he chose to leave the party and form the Forward Bloc, asked Chouhan.
Chouhan said others leaders, such as Rajgopalachari, ND Ranga, Chaudhary Charan Singh, Biju Patnaik, Babu Jagjivanram, Bansilal, ND Tiwari and Mamata Banerjee, had left the Congress due to its wrong policies.
"I wish to say to my Congress friends that those who leave your party over faulty policies are called 'gaddars', but the real 'gaddar' is Kamal Nath who stabbed the public in the back and betrayed them," said Chouhan.
In his address, Scindia said that those leaders and workers who had listened to their inner voice to serve the public and keeping their self-respect intact are now here today with no lust for post or power.
This was Scindia's first public function since he left the Congress for the BJP in March.
LIVE TV
