Nehru gave Opposition space, says Rahul

"It is important to protect his legacy of tolerant, secular India"

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi delivering the keynote address on the concluding day of the ‘Jawaharlal Nehru Commemorative InternationalConference’ in New Delhi. Photo: Prashant Nakwe

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday warned those trying to “erase” former Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s memory and legacy.

Mr. Gandhi’s address was laced with his party’s concerns since it went out of power, and oblique references to threat from the party’s chief opponent — the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“It is especially important that we preserve this India of Nehru’s — an India that is secular and tolerant. This legacy, which has denied no man or woman their voice, and preserved by us for close to 70 years, is more important than ever,” Mr. Gandhi said.

He was the head of the Congress delegation at the International Conference to commemorate Nehru’s 125th anniversary.

The Congress leader pointed out that Pandit Nehru had given the Opposition space at the time though it had a minuscule presence. “At the time when the Opposition was sparse in Parliament, he reached out to them, gave them a feeling that while electorally they may be weak, in his world they were valued partners in nation-building,” Mr. Gandhi said.

The Congress has been embroiled in a protracted battle with the government since May 2014 over being denied the position of Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

The party failed to make the cut of winning minimum 10 per cent seats in the House to be eligible for the position.

“He [Nehru] recognised that every perspective is unique, even those he fought vehemently. He defended the rights of those he did not agree with and never imagined silencing them,” Mr. Gandhi said.