PM Modi trying to erase history by becoming Gandhi himself: Congress

Coming down heavily upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi for featuring in Khadi Village Industries Commission (KVIC) calendar, the Congress on Saturday accused him of trying to erase history by posing himself as Mahatma Gandhi.

"This is an effort by Narendra Modi ji to write history in a new way. He wants the new generation to forget history and remember that India got independence in 2016...He himself wants to become Mahatma Gandhi and sit on that position," Congress spokesperson Charan Singh Sapra told ANI.

Condemning Prime Minister Modi of developing an environment of dictatorship, Sapra said democratic system has been severely damaged.

Echoing the same sentiment, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Tariq Anwar said the BJP had no contribution in the independence movement and that they have no belief in the principles of Mahatma Gandhi.

"Khadi is known by the name of Gandhi ji...BJP or RSS have never been a part of independence movement. They have no contribution in the independence. None of its ministers can claim their contribution in it. BJP has no belief in Gandhivaad and so when they pose the other way, it is not liked by anybody," Anwar told ANI.

In a big development, Mahatma Gandhi's picture weaving khadi on a simple charkha, wearing his trademark cloth has been replaced by Prime Minister Modi's picture in the same classic pose as that of the former in the KVIC diary and calendar.

However, it took a new turn on Friday as sources said the calendar never featured the picture of Father of the Nation.

Sources added there was no question of replacing Mahatma Gandhi's picture with that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"There was no picture of Mahatma Gandhi on KVIC diary or calendar in the year 1996, 2002, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, so there is no question of replacing his picture with that of Modi," said sources.

Sources asserted that those igniting the controversy should understand that the sale of khadi was limited to two to seven percent during the 50 years of Congress rule while there can be seen an unprecedented growth of 34 percent in the sales of khadi products during the last two years of Prime Minister Modi-led government.