Why do you hate Nehru so much? Sanjay Raut asks Centre
Mumbai, (PTI): Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday said the exclusion of former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's picture from a poster released by a body of the Union Education Ministry to mark the 75th year of India's independence shows the Centre's "narrow mindset", and asked the Union government why it "hates" Nehru so much.
Raut, in his weekly column 'Rokhthok' in the Sena mouthpiece Saamana, said the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Education, has excluded the pictures of Nehru and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad from its poster, and alleged that it was an act of "political vindictiveness".
"Those who had no participation in the freedom struggle and creating history are keeping out one of the heroes of the independence struggle. This act, done out of political vindictiveness, is not good and shows their narrow mindset. It is an insult of each and every freedom fighter," Raut claimed.
One can have differences over Nehru's policies after independence, but no one can deny his contribution to the freedom struggle, said the Rajya Sabha member, who is the executive editor of Saamana.
"What has Nehru done to hate him so much? In fact, the institutions he built are now being sold to keep the Indian economy moving," Raut said, while referring to the National Monetization Pipeline (announced recently by the Centre), and claimed it was due to Nehru's "long-term vision" that the country was saved from economic devastation.
Raut, whose party shares power with the NCP and Congress in Maharashtra, said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin recently took a decision not to remove pictures of former state CMs Jayalalitha and E K Palaniswami from school bags which were being distributed free to children in the southern state.
"If he (Stalin) can show political maturity, why do you hate Nehru so much? You owe an answer to the nation," the Shiv Sena's chief spokesperson said, without naming the BJP.
The Modi government's criticism of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was understandable, he said, claiming that the Centre made its hatred public by changing the name of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award.
"You cannot destroy the immortal contribution of Nehru and (former prime minister) Indira Gandhi in nation-building. Those who deny Nehru's contributions will be called villains of history," Raut further claimed.
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Rahul Gandhi joins Haryana Congress leader's 'Sadbhav Yatra' in Gurugram
Gurugram (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday joined the 'Sadbhav Yatra' of Haryana Congress leader Brijendra Singh here.
Gandhi, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, reached Gurugram in the evening and joined the yatra. He also walked some distance with Brijendra, state Congress chief Rao Narender Singh and other leaders.
Huge crowds had turned up for the occasion.
Later, Gandhi proceeded to the venue where he addressed a public gathering.
Leader of Opposition in Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda and other Congress leaders, including Randeep Singh Surjewala, B K Hariprasad, state Congress chief Rao Narender Singh, were also present.
Brijendra Singh had on Thursday said it is a matter of joy for them that Gandhi was joining the 'Sadbhav Yatra' in Gurugram-Badshahpur, "thereby strengthening the Indian National Congress' campaign for brotherhood and harmony".
The 'Sadbhav Yatra' began from Danoda village at Narwana in Jind on October 5, 2025, and has covered 85 of the 90 assembly segments in the state.
The foot march was started by Brijendra Singh, son of Congress veteran Birender Singh, to highlight several national and regional issues.
State Congress chief Rao Narender Singh had asked all party leaders to take part in Friday's event.
Days before his yatra began in October, Brijendra Singh, who narrowly lost the 2024 assembly polls from Jind's Uchana Kalan, accused the ruling BJP of playing "divisive politics" and said that "sadbhav" (harmony) has come under stress in the last decade.
Brijendra Singh was a sitting MP from Hisar for the BJP when he resigned ahead of the 2024 general election and switched over to the Congress. He also alleged that the saffron party creates a wedge in society to achieve its political purpose.
The 'padyatra' has so far covered 85 assembly constituencies in Haryana, traversing more than 2,700 kilometres.
Addressing the public gathering, Brijendra Singh said the yatra is inspired by Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, where he took the party's vision and values directly to the people of the country.
Singh said the yatra has highlighted issues like "Vote Chori" (vote theft), unemployment, poor law and order situation, agrarian distress, and issues related to government employees, labourers and traders.
"Sadbhav (harmony) and bhaichara (brotherhood), which the BJP is attempting to weaken, are the messages of this yatra," he said, adding that its slogan is "Congress ka haath bhaichara ka saath".
"This yatra is a natural extension of the Bharat Jodo Yatra," Brijendra Singh said.
