Insult to Sardar Patel: Congress cries foul over Motera to Modi switch, BJP defends stadium renaming

While Congress leaders alleged that renaming the sports complex in Ahmedabad to Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium is an insult to Sardar Patel, the BJP said Opposition leaders never even visited the statue in Kevadia.

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New Delhi
February 24, 2021
UPDATED: February 24, 2021 18:34 IST
Crowds outside the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday (Photo Credits: PTI)

HIGHLIGHTS

  • The President inaugurated the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday
  • Renaming stadium is an insult to Sardar Patel: Congress leader Hardik Patel
  • Sonia Gandhi, others never visited Kevedia to pay respect to Sardar Patel statue: Union Min Ravi Shankar Prasad

The renaming of Sardar Patel Cricket Stadium to Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad's Motera has triggered a political tug of war between BJP and the Congress. President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the newly revamped Motera Stadium on Wednesday.

The stadium, which will now be known as Narendra Modi Stadium, will be located in the larger Sardar Patel Sports Enclave. The enclave will come up around the Narendra Modi Stadium and will have facilities for several sports.

The Congress responded to the renaming by criticising the BJP. Taking a swipe at the BJP, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet, "Beautiful how the truth reveals itself."

In a veiled reference to the RSS, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said in a tweet, "Maybe they just realised the stadium was named for a Home Minister who had banned their parent organisation!"

"Or maybe this is advance booking to ensure the next visiting Head of State is hosted here, like Trump? Or is this the beginning of a legacy-creation-thru-labelling spree?" Shashi Tharoor went on to say.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, on the other hand, thanked the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi "for his vision to dedicate the world's largest stadium to a country where cricket is not just a sport, but a religion".

Hardik Patel, president of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) attacked the government over its decision to rename the stadium. "Is renaming the complex to Narendra Modi stadium not an insult to Sardar Patel?" Hardik Patel asked. He went even further to say that the BJP, which seeks votes in the name of Sardar Patel is now insulting India's first Union Home Minister.

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad responded to criticism of the government over the renaming of the cricket stadium in Ahmedabad. "Sonia Gandhi and others never visited Kevedia to pay respect to Sardar Patel statue there. They never visited that site and now they are talking about insulting Sardar Patel," Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

Wading into the controversy, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath said renaming the complex to Narendra Modi stadium is "an insult to the Iron Man."

"Those who achieve big things, the world remembers them by naming heritage sites after them. Those who bounce 'jumlas', how do they name structures after themselves even when they are alive?" Congress leader Kamal Nath said in a tweet.

Defending the government's move, Union Minister Prakash Javedkar issued a clarification saying, "Only the name of the stadium has been changed but the entire complex will still be known as Sardar Patel Cricket Stadium."

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera trained attacked the government by saying they do not believe that subsequent governments will name anything after them.

"Today Advani must be sad. Mr Modi is smart because he does not trust anyone. He now removed Patel's name from the stadium built by the Congress government in 1983 and renamed it after himself," Pawan Khera said.

Posted byAmrtansh Arora