Congress Hits Back at BJP Over Patel’s Legacy, Vows to Walk ‘Nyaypath’

The Congress Party launched a blistering attack on the BJP over its alleged attempts to misappropriate Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s legacy. During an Extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, the party passed a resolution titled “Flag Bearer of Freedom Movement – Our 'Sardar' - Sh. Vallabhbhai Patel”, highlighting Patel’s role in India’s freedom struggle and his deep association with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru—debunking the BJP’s claims about their relationship.

The resolution scrutinized the BJP’s governance, alleging that it is distorting Patel’s principles while suppressing farmers and dividing the nation along regional, linguistic, and communal lines. It recalled Patel’s leadership during the Bardoli Satyagraha in 1928, stating, “His charismatic leadership earned him the title ‘Sardar’. In contrast, today’s BJP government follows the British model—weakening farmers’ rights, blocking their paths with spikes and barricades, and even crushing them under vehicles in Lakhimpur Kheri.”

Referring to Patel’s role in unifying India, the resolution noted, “The forceful leadership of Sardar Patel and the visionary stewardship of Pandit Nehru merged over 560 princely states, laying the foundation of our democratic republic.” However, it accused the BJP of working against this unity, alleging, “Today, BJP seeks to fragment India’s united spirit—engineering divisions between North and South, East and West, and manipulating differences based on language and culture.”

The Congress also underscored Patel’s advocacy for workers' rights, recalling his speech as Congress President during the Karachi session. The resolution pointed out, “His call to protect the rights of India’s toiling workers shaped the constitutional guarantee of fundamental rights. But today, the BJP government is trampling these rights—weakening labor laws, assaulting MGNREGA, and bulldozing fundamental freedoms.”

Sharpening its attack, the Congress accused the BJP of fostering economic disparity, stating, “Patel believed in fair resource distribution and economic justice. In contrast, the BJP has ravaged Gujarat’s enterprise, funneling national wealth into the hands of a select few crony capitalists, leading to massive wealth concentration.”

The resolution did not shy away from linking Patel’s stance against communalism to the present day. It stated, “The same violent ideology that killed Mahatma Gandhi once targeted both Patel and Nehru, even calling for their public hanging in 1948. It was Patel who banned the RSS on February 4, 1948, recognizing the dangers of its ideology.”

The Congress warned that similar forces are once again sowing religious discord, pushing the nation “into an abyss of hatred”. It pledged to fight back, declaring, “The Congress Party is determined to emulate the resoluteness of ‘Iron Man’ Sardar Patel by resisting religious polarization and defending India’s democratic fabric.”

In a final rallying call, the party reaffirmed its commitment to the Constitution and democracy, asserting, “Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, social justice champion Rahul Gandhi, and millions of Congress workers are unwavering in their resolve to walk the ‘Nyaypath’—the path shown by Sardar Patel himself.”

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