The battle over Jawaharlal Nehru's legacy escalated today with Congress launching a sharp but veiled attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of seeking to destroy his secular vision and spreading "poison of communalism".
The Congress' criticism of Modi, whom it accuses of appropriating the legacy of freedom movement leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel, came at two functions to mark the 125th birth anniversary of Nehru.
Though Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul did not name the Prime Minister, the reference was obvious.
Speaking at the first event organised by the party, Sonia Gandhi asked Congressmen to fight those out to demolish Nehru's "liberal India".
Later in the evening, speaking at the Jawaharlal Nehru memorial lecture event, she said that the legacy of every great political leader is often subject to revisionism of some type or other.
"But what is being attempted on Jawaharlal Nehru by those who are ideologically hostile to him is the total rejection of his secular vision of a tolerant and liberal India celebrating its many diversities.
"Those who castigate him choose also to be oblivious of the larger political and historical context of his times in which the state had to be the principal catalyst for socio-economic transformation," Gandhi said.
Out of power for the last six months after a crushing defeat in the Lok Sabha polls, the party is utilising the 125th birth anniversary of Nehru to rally round non-NDA parties on a platform raising the pitch of secularism.
It has organised an international meet on November 17 and 18 for which it has not invited Modi.
Sonia Gandhi has extended invitations personally to leaders including Nitish Kumar and Mamata Banerjee.
