*Hints at stormy Parl session, extends Eid greetings
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today had a dig at dynastic politics and political untouchability and took a jibe at AICC (I) president Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra, without naming him citing example of clean image of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, the son-in-law of late Congress veteran, Girdhari Lal Dogra, whose centenary birth celebrations were attended by him here today.
Modi’s response to political untouchability was seemed as instant reaction to Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who described Dogra as “24 carat Congressman’’.
In his 16 minutes brief speech at Dogra’s birth centenary celebrations, organised by Girdhari Lal Dogra Memorial Trust at Zorawar Singh auditorium in Jammu University, Modi deprecated “untouchability” in politics saying in public life it does not matter so much as to with which party one was connected, what ideology one espoused and under whose leadership one worked.
“Let us not divide our legacy. Everybody in public life works with some ideology in his lifetime but he lives and dies for the country. It is not for us, who are from the later generations, to create disputes,” Modi said.
Insisting that division of national heritage is a matter of concern, Modi observed: “for us, all of them (national leaders) are great persons, who worked for the country are respectable and to be proud of. There should not be any untouchability about it.
“Whether he was in Congress or BJP, whether Prime Minister should have come or not? The question is not that. Yes he (PM) must come because the particular person has sacrificed his youth for the nation. Our legacies should not be divided.”
Apart from Modi and Jaitley, those seated on the dais included Governor NN Vohra, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, veteran Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Dr Karan Singh, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Dr Jitendra Singh and Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh.
Modi recalled that soon after Atal Bihari Vajpayee took over as Prime Minister, a senior Communist leader had died in Kerala.
“Vajpayee told L K Advani to attend his last rites even though the Communist leader had steadfastly opposed BJP,’’ the Prime Minister recalled.
“Political untouchability does not work. There is a need to have the same feeling and same respect for any one, who worked for the nation. Had Dogra ji been alive, he would have opposed us, he would have opposed even his son-in-law. But we should get an inspiration from his life,” he said.
Unfortunately, politics has come to such a pass that very few politicians are remembered after they die, he said.
“But there are some exceptions, who live even after their death, because of the work they do during their lifetime. Girdhari Lal Dogra was one of them.
An advocate by profession, Girdhari Lal Dogra, whose daughter Sangeeta is married to Jaitley, was born in a small Bhaiya village in Kathua district and rose to national prominence. He died on November 27, 1987. All speakers including the Prime Minister highlighted Dogra’s unique quality that he had presented 26 budgets in the State with some of them calling that there would be very few persons in the world, or might be even none, to achieve this rare feat.
Modi’s comments on political untouchability assumed significance as ever since he became the Prime Minister in June last year, he has been accused by Congress of trying to “usurp” the legacy of its national icons like Sardar Patel, Lal Bahadur Shastri, B R Ambedkar and Subhash Chandra Bose.
Recently the BJP also sought to associate itself with late K Kamaraj, a former Congress president, hailing him as a national leader who had opposed emergency and drew parallels between him and Modi.
The Prime Minister also chose the occasion to criticize dynastic politics by citing the example of Dogra, who did not bring his family into public life despite being such a tall leader for so long.
Modi, who saw an exhibition on Dogra’s life put up on the occasion, said, “I noticed that no member of his family is seen in his political life in any of these photos displayed at the exhibition. There is only one photo in which family members can be seen and that is his last rites.
“It’s not an easy thing. He had such a long political career and worked with so many Prime Ministers, still no family member was seen in his political journey. It is a difficult task. This is message for today’s politicians. This gives inspiration. He maintained the decorum of political life’’.
The Prime Minister during his election speeches for Lok Sabha and later for Assembly in Jammu and Kashmir had come down strongly on dynastic politics being pursued by various political parties. He had strongly criticised the Congress, National Conference and PDP culture of pursuing dynastic politics. However, the BJP had later joined hands with the PDP to form coalition Government in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Prime Minister said Girdhari Lal Dogra had the special ability to identify people. In this context, he said Azad had been groomed by him. Also, he mentioned that Jaitley was chosen by the late leader as the son-in-law.
“There is no match between his (Dogra’s) ideology and that of Arun ji. Despite that he gave his daughter to him,” he said.
Modi also highlighted that Jaitley is not known because of his father-in-law and Dogra was not known because of his son-in-law. “Otherwise in such a long time, Arun ji must have thought about it some time. But both decided their destinies themselves.”
He appeared to poke fun at Congress by making a veiled reference to Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra, who is embroiled in land deal controversies. “Today, we all know what all is talked about son-in laws.”
“That Girdhari Lal Dogra had the opportunity to present budget for 26 times as Finance Minister of the State is a rare thing. It happens when you have acceptability and stability in political life and a commitment to the responsibility given to you,” Modi said.
“Today in politics, there is a need to ensure that our heritage is not divided. This is a matter of concern,” he said, amid a tussle among political parties to claim the legacy of various national leaders.
Modi said public life cannot run by judging a person on the basis of his political party, ideology or leadership.
“There should not be political untouchability. Everybody in public life works with certain ideology but he lives and dies for the nation. We should be proud of them and have equal regard for anybody who has worked and died for the nation, irrespective of their political ideologies and affiliations.
Terming Dogra as an inspiration for those who choose to lead a public life for serving the nation, Modi said, “During his student life, he worked for freedom with a strong ideology and, later, in political life, he spent maximum time in the Government.
“I do not think (many) people in the country would have got an opportunity to present the budget 26 times. In J-K, there might two to three generations which can boast of having had the opportunity to be led by a leader like Dogra.”
The Prime Minister further added, “He (Dogra) has created a chain of political workers who will vibrantly continue their life in politics in the future. He was not merely a politician and a man in public life to continuously work to create a generation of politicians.”
Highlighting that such contradictions are the beauty of the democracy, he quipped, “we all are sitting here (including Azad), but just wait to see the ‘muqabla’ (contest) we will have in the next few days”.
He was clearly referring to the Monsoon session of Parliament beginning July 21 during which the opposition is expected to corner the Government over various issues, including land bill and allegations against External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundra Raje.
Modi stated this while sharing the dais with Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and senior Congress leader from Jammu and Kashmir Karan Singh.
Pointing towards the Congress leaders, he said, “We all are sitting here (including Azad), but just wait to see the ‘muqabla’ (contest) we will have in some days”.
Senior NDA Ministers had yesterday huddled to chalk out strategy for pushing the Government’s legislative business in the Monsoon session beginning July 21.
The Prime Minister also greeted the nation on the conclusion of the holy month of Ramzan and the upcoming Eid festival.
“The holy month of Ramzan is coming to an end. People are waiting for Eid. The country and the world will celebrate Eid. I extend hearty greetings on this occasion,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that the late leader shared personal relations with people from various ideologies.
“Be it Sheikh Sahab (Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah) or Prem Nath Dogra, he shared individual relations with everyone, irrespective of the difference in their political ideology”, Jaitley said.
He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s presence on the birth centenary celebrations of Dogra proved the fact that he was respected by all.
Jaitley said that the Girdhari Lal Dogra Memorial Trust that organized the function had also invited former Chief Minister and National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah but because of his health he could not come to attend the function.
Congress veteran and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Gulam Nabi Azad termed late leader Dogra as a hardcore Congress loyalist who strived for the integrity and sovereignty of the country.
“He was a hardcore 24 carat Congressman who never compromised on his ideology. He was an epitome of integrity who always stood to safeguard the sovereignty and secular character of the country,” Azad, a former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, said.
Azad noted that people from all walks of life cutting across party lines have gathered to pay their tributes to Dogra—both on the dais as well as among the audience, which was a testimonial of the stature that he enjoyed.
Azad said that another glaring example of the stature of Girdhari Lal Dogra was that he presented the State budget for 26 times as the Finance Minister of the State. He noted that despite presenting 26 budgets, Dogra had no house of his own.
Recalling his association with Dogra, Azad said when Mufti Sayeed was the PCC (I) chief, Dogra was Congress Legislature Party leader and later Leader of Opposition, he was appointed as the Youth Congress president.
“We have learnt a lot from Dogra including the art of speaking separate languages while delivering speeches in urban and rural areas,’’ the Congress leader said.
He added that Dogra, a Law Graduate from Lahore, had never compromised on the issues of regionalism, communalism and casteism, which is today most required in the country especially in our State.
Senior Congress leader and Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha Karan Singh threw light on the life of Dogra and said that he worked for national interest while he stood witness to various ups and down in the politics of the State.
Speaking in Dogri, the lone speaker in the function to do so, recalled that Dogra used to share lighter moments also with him.
“Once I was asked by Dogra had I ever heard the leader sleeping while delivering speech? Dogra told me I might have heard leaders taking nap in the functions but had I ever heard the leader sleeping during the speech? I said no. Then Dogra told me that this had happened with him when he slept during the speech and on waking up saw that he was still speaking,’’ Karan Singh recalled.
Describing Dogra as down to earth and leader with honest and clean image, Dr Singh welcomed the Prime Minister and the Union Finance Minister to the function on behalf of the people.
Karan Singh also apprised the Prime Minister that Gen Zorawar Singh on whose name the auditorium has been set up, where today’s function was held, was not a common man but national hero, who had taken India’s boundaries up to Tibet.
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