BJP slams Congress for 'vilification' of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at CWC meeting

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Monday accused the Congress of committing a "sin" over reports that a leader at the recent CWC meeting made critical remarks about Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir and asked if the party leadership will take action against him.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra cited reports that Tariq Hameed Karra, a Kashmiri leader and a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee, had credited Jawaharlal Nehru for Jammu and Kashmir's integration with India and had alleged that Patel wanted to keep the Valley out.

Patra asked whether Congress president Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi objected when Karra "vilified" Patel and presented India's first home minister as a "villain" while praising Nehru.

"Was Karra reprimanded? Will he be axed from the CWC," Patra asked, accusing the Congress of constantly insulting leaders like Subhas Chandra Bose, Patel and Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar.

The Congress, he alleged, is reduced to being a party of a family and works to advance the family's rule.

"What sort of mindset is this that one family has done everything and others have done nothing. What the CWC has done is a sin," he said.

He noted that Karra also batted for Rahul Gandhi to take over as the Congress chief while lauding the contribution of the Nehru-Gandhi family and criticising Patel.

"This is the height of sycophancy," he said.