PM, BJP should thank Nehru for using him as 'a political life jacket': Manoj K Jha in RS

New Delhi, Dec 9 (PTI) RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha on Tuesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party should thank Jawahar Lal Nehru for using him as "a political life jacket".

Speaking during a discussion on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram in Rajya Sabha, Jha remarked, while indirectly referring to recent accusations by the BJP and the Prime Minister, that Nehru was responsible for many of the country's problems.

"Pradhan Mantri ji ko, BJP ko Nehru ko dhanyawad karna chahiye. Wo political life jacket ki tarah istemal kiye jate hain (The Prime Minister and the BJP should thank Nehru. They use him like a political life jacket)," Jha said.

Jha added that the country's culture of respecting all religions and living in peace is eroding and that hatred is being spread across society.

Expressing disappointment over a recent incident in which groups clashed over slogans such as "I love Mohammed" and "I love Mahakal," he said that polarisation has become a part of today's life.

He added that Bankim Chandra Chatterjee could never have imagined that the country would fragment into more pieces than it did at the time of Partition.

Y V Subba Reddy, a YSRCP MP from Andhra Pradesh, said that Vande Mataram is not just words or poems by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, but it is a mantra that ignited millions of people during the freedom struggle.

He added that during British atrocities, Vande Mataram gave them courage, and today it is more than just an inspiration.

"It awakens patriotic fervour, unites the masses and salutes mother India," Reddy said.

AIADMK MP Dr M Thambidurai said that when Vande Mataram was composed in 1875, it was not merely a poem; it was a spark that lit a nationwide fire of patriotism.

Meenakshi Jain, a nominated member, said that Bankim Chandra Chatterjee occupies a pivotal position in the history of Indian literature and nationalist thought as he demonstrated an affinity with the ancient culture of this land.

BRS MP from Telangana, KR Suresh Reddy, said that Vande Mataram is a song that has been instrumental in shaping the revolutionary spirit of India's freedom struggle.

He added that it became a revolutionary song during the protest resisting the partition of Bengal in 1905, and when the British banned the song, it further ignited the spirit of emancipation.

"This visionary hymn that lives on even today in our hearts and minds serves as a reminder of the sacrifices and patriotic spirit that built our republic and granted us the freedom that we now enjoy," Suresh Reddy said. PTI JP MR