Sapkal asks what the current PM's identity is at Nehru birth anniversary event in Mumbai

Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal has said it is a matter of pride that India got a visionary leader with a scientific outlook in Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru after Independence. He made it clear that the Congress will continue to walk the path shown by Nehru. He was speaking at an event on Nehru's 137th birth anniversary.

The event, titled "Bharat Bhagyavidhata", was held at Tilak Bhavan in Mumbai by the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee. It was organised jointly by the party's employment and self-employment department and its cultural department. Well-known personalities from various fields were also felicitated.

Sapkal said every Prime Minister of the country has had a distinct identity. He cited the work of Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Dr Manmohan Singh. He then asked what the identity of the current Prime Minister is.

On Nehru's contribution, Sapkal said he spent a full 11 years in jail during the freedom struggle. During this time he wrote books such as The Discovery of India and Glimpses of World History. According to Sapkal, Nehru's contribution to building the country is great.

Sapkal also said Nehru tried to give the common man land and rights through decisions such as land laws and land reforms. According to him, Nehru did not act arbitrarily despite having a huge majority.

Former MP Kumar Ketkar also spoke on the importance of Nehru's ideas. He said that with war-like situations across the world today, there is a need to adopt afresh Nehru's approach of peace and international cooperation.

Ketkar said Nehru's broad democratic outlook lay behind giving every citizen the right to vote after Independence. He said the foundations of democracy and an inclusive outlook are still needed today.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, Kumar Ketkar, Atul Londhe, Dhananjay Shinde and Chandrakant Kulkarni were present, along with many personalities from the fields of art, literature, culture and social service. Pledging to carry forward the legacy of Nehru's thinking, the Congress stressed its ideological role once again at the event.