The Hindu : Cong. ignoring freedom fighters, alleges Modi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 25, 2003

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Cong. ignoring freedom fighters, alleges Modi

By Mahesh Vijapurkar

MUMBAI AUG. 24. The Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, and the RSS chief, V. Sudarshan, today came down heavily on the Congress for ``deliberately ignoring'' the rich contribution of freedom fighters who did not fit their mould.

Ascribing the delay in bringing back the ashes of Shyamji Krishna Varma from Geneva to this attitude, Mr. Modi said the Congress "copyrighted freedom movement to itself" and Mr. Sudarshan said "one family, one party co-opted the privilege to themselves".

As Mr. Sudarshan put it, the delay was because of the practice, even after Independence, to "shamefully ignore the contribution of a great man." Varma was the founder of India Home Rule Society, the India House and The Indian Socialist periodical, all promoting the freedom movement from the English soil.

Mr. Modi, who returned last night from Geneva with the urn containing the ashes, said: "This urn will now be taken on a `Veeranjali Yatra', covering 17 districts in 11 days, starting on Monday."

It was gratifying that the Lok Sabha Speaker, Manohar Joshi, today announced his intent to have a portrait of the freedom fighter in Parliament. Mr. Sudarshan in fact wanted a biography to be published by the Government and asked the Petroleum Minister, Ram Naik, to follow it up.

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