NV Subhash, the grandson of former Prime Minister and senior Congress leader late P V Narasimha Rao has slammed a senior Congress leader and the party for making allegations against the former Prime Minister and also demanded an apology from the Gandhi family for “injustice” done to him.
According to the reports, NV Subhash reacted after AICC Secretary G Chinna Reddy had issued a statement accusing former Prime Minister Rao of trying to “sideline” the Nehru-Gandhi family during his tenure. NV Subhash said G Chinna Reddy’s accusations were “not true and condemnable”.
“Rao was the most trusted and loyal leader for Gandhi family and always guided the family on many issues”, he claimed.
Subhash, a BJP member, further alleged that Congress always neglected the leaders other than those from the Nehru-Gandhi family, especially late P V Narasimha Rao.
“It is very clear and evident that his dead body was not even allowed to enter the headquarters of AICC in Delhi. All the former PM’s memorial was built in New Delhi except that of Rao’s which shows the indifferent attitude of the Congress leaders,” Subhash told PTI.
He further added that Rao never sidelined or suppressed the Gandhi family during his tenure. On every occasion, Sonia Gandhi was very well informed about the party activities, development initiatives are taken up by the government, Cabinet expansions, the election process, campaign and allotment of tickets in Assembly elections, he claimed.
“In fact, on many occasions, Rao personally met Sonia Gandhi and apprised her. But she was neither interested in politics nor wanted her kids to get into politics. So, where is the question of suppressing the family?” Subhash asked.
Responding to Reddy’s allegation and blaming of PV Narasimha Rao for the Babri Masjid Demolition in December 1992, NV Subhash said that Rao had taken all the necessary steps to stop its demolition.
“If it is true (that the demolition alienated Muslims from Congress) then how is it possible that the Congress was in power from 2004 to 2014?” questioned Subhash.
Subhash also accused Congress of neglecting their own leaders other than Nehru-Gandhi family and added that the party, not only gave credit to Nehru-Gandhi family for success but also blamed Narasimha Rao for the party’s failures.
“At least now, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and the entire coterie of Gandhi family and Congress should apologise to the nation for the injustice done to Narasimha Rao”, he said. They should recognise Rao’s services by paying him rich tributes on the occasion of his 98th birth anniversary tomorrow, he added.
P V Narasimha Rao was the first prime minister outside the Nehru-Gandhi family to complete a full term of five years. He had become the PM in 1991 due to the assassination of former PM Rajiv Gandhi during the elections.