"Only One Father Of Nation", Cannot Compare Gandhiji: Maharashtra Congress

Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole on Thursday said that Mahatma Gandhi cannot be compared with anyone and took a jibe at the BJP's "new India."

"Father of the nation can't be compared with anyone. Their (BJP) 'new India' is only about making a few friends super-rich while the rest of the population remains downtrodden and hungry. We don't need this 'new India," Mr Patole said.

"If they want to make Modi ji 'Father of the Nation' of new India just for few rich businessmen then let them make. I congratulate them for the same," Mr Patole said.

The Maharashtra Congress chief's remarks came after Amruta Fadnavis, the wife of the state's deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday termed prime minister Narendra Modi as "the father of new India" after she was asked about a 2019 tweet in which she called him 'the father of our country."

"We have two 'rashtra pita'. Narendra Modi is the father of New India and Mahatma Gandhi is the father of the nation of earlier times," Amruta Fadnavis said during a programme in Nagpur where she was invited as the chief guest.

Senior Congress leader Pramod Tiwari also hit out at the remarks made by the wife of the state's deputy chief minister.

"There can be two fathers in BJP but not in the country. There'll be only one Father of Nation..." Mr Tiwari said.

Mentioning that Amruta Fadnavis was the wife of five times Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, he said, "Amrita spoke what was present in the heart of the BJP. BJP and its organization are worshipers of Godse."

He alleged that the BJP and its organizations were filled with hatred for Mahatma Gandhi and Congress.

"This is not just an insult to Gandhi but to the entire nation. This theory was that of the BJP and not the nation," he told ANI.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)