BJP Carried Out Surgical Strike On Gandhi's Thoughts: Adhir Chowdhury

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Wednesday made a strong attack on the BJP-led Union government and accused BJP members of being "pseudo-nationalists" who carried out an "ideological surgical strike" on Mahatma Gandhi's thoughts.

He said the BJP members should not be "fake Hindus" but "real Hindus like us".

Participating in the discussion on the motion of thanks to the President's Address in Lok Sabha, Mr Chowdhury said the government was being forced to backtrack on the contentious National Register of Citizens (NRC) due to protests in different parts of the country on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Referring to the words of Mahatma Gandhi cited in the President's Address about refugees, Mr Chowdhury said the Father of Nation had stated that "if nationalist Muslims also were forced to leave Pakistan, they can live in Hindustan".

Mr Chowdhury said BJP-led government referred to Mahatma Gandhi as "pujya Bapu" (revered father) but was cherry-picking his words and carrying out an "ideological surgical strike" on his thoughts. Mr Chowdhury also referred to Swami Vivekananda in his speech.

BJP members strongly objected to his remarks pertaining to Prime Minister Narendra Modi but Chowdhury said any person who pitches for the material world was "bhogi" while a person pitching for the spiritual world was a "yogi".

"We are all bhogis. We are living in a material world," he said.

He also cited Swami Vivekananda as saying ''our motherland was a junction of two great forces - Hinduism and Islam'' and Vedanta brain and Islam body is only hope for India''. BJP members objected to his remarks.

Mr Chowdhury said Swami Vivekananda also said every human soul is potentially divine and the goal should be to manifest the divinity in every person

"Do not become fake Hindu, become a true Hindu like us. Do not try to be fake Hindus. You are pseudo-nationalists, pseudo-humanists, pseudo-Hinduists," he said.

Mr Chowdhury said PM Modi had never said they want a secular India. "I challenge Prime Minister has never said we want a secular Hindustan," the Congress leader said.

Referring to the preamble of the Constitution, he said it states "We the people of India and not "We the Hindus of India" or "We the Muslims of India".

"The true spirit of the Constitution is that everyone feels that the country is his own. You want to destroy it," he said.

The MP said instead of problems facing the country, the BJP leaders talk of Pakistan and Imran Khan.

Mr Chowdhury said the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, National Population Register and National Register of Citizens were seeing participation from people of all communities.

"Since Independence, we are seeing for the first time that people are fighting to save their constitution. The government is backtracking due to fear of agitation by people. We should help the agitation being carried for protection of the Constitution. We will keep fighting. You want to divide the country. We have fire in the belly to save the constitution," he said.

Mr Chowdhury said that BJP leaders had earlier said that NRC will be implemented but had later made different statements. He said the government was also saying that documents will not be required for NPR.

He asked if Kashmir has become an international issue due to the decisions of the government.

Mr Chowdhury said three former chief ministers were under detention in Jammu and Kashmir for the past six months. "You have a 56-inch chest, why are you afraid. You do not have moral power," he said.

He said India had spent its diplomatic capital in explaining decisions such as CAA and Article 370 while China had been going ahead with its projects concerning CPEC.

"What have you done about CPEC," he said and added that China was forging infrastructure links with Nepal and Bangladesh.

Referring to remarks of Army Chief that the force will take appropriate action if it gets orders to take back Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, he asked if the government will bring a resolution that PoK should be liberated. "Do you have the courage?" he asked.

He said even BSF can defeat Pakistan and stated that the government behaved like a roaring lion vis-a-vis Pakistan but whimpered like pygmy against China. He said China might get involved in any effort to take back PoK.

He also cautioned the government against allowing a Chinese company in 5G trials.

The Congress leader accused BJP of practising "co-optional politics" in relation to some national leaders of the past.

Mr Chowdhury said the government was not delivering on its promises concerning New India. "Poverty is increasing in New India, there is religious jingoism, mob lynching. This is chest-thumping government," he alleged.