Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee President Ajay Rai, criticising the BJP for concealing the historical opposition to the Quit India Movement by its ideological predecessors, accused the saffron party of attempting to appropriate the legacy.
Addressing a press conference here at UPCC headquarters on Wednesday, Rai pointed out that leaders such as VD Savarkar and Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee, along with the RSS, had opposed the movement.
Citing historical records, he said Dr. Mukherjee had written to the governor of Bengal on July 26, 1942, advising him to suppress the movement. He also claimed that Savarkar, during the Hindu Mahasabha’s 24th session in Kanpur in 1942, openly supported British rule.
Turning his focus to the Modi government, Rai accused the prime minister and his cabinet of hypocrisy. While they promote the idea of “Swadeshi” (self-reliance), he alleged they themselves rely on luxury foreign goods. He cited examples like the German luxury eyewear brand Maybach, which he claimed the prime minister uses.
He further said that BJP leaders across the board use foreign vehicles and gadgets, many of which are Chinese-made.
Noting that India’s trade deficit with China has reached $100 billion, he called on Prime Minister Modi to first practice what he preaches before lecturing others on Swadeshi values.
Highlighting the significance of the month of August in Indian history and announcing a series of events to commemorate the Quit India Movement, Rai emphasized that August holds a special place in India’s freedom struggle. He recalled how, on August 8, 1942, Mahatma Gandhi gave a clarion call for “Do or Die”, launching the historic Quit India Movement.
He added that Uttar Pradesh played a prominent role in this movement, with people from several districts taking to the streets and raising slogans demanding the British to leave India.
Continuing its annual tradition, the UP Congress will organize a month-long series of programs to pay tribute to the martyrs of the freedom struggle and revisit the legacy of the movement. The schedule will begin with the “Jai Hind Yatra” in Kakori on August 8. Following that, events will be held in Prayagraj on August 9, Agra and Moradabad on August 10, Ayodhya (Faizabad) on August 11, Azamgarh on August 12, Mainpuri on August 14, Mau on August 15, Chandauli (Dhanapur) and Jaunpur on August 16, Varanasi on August 17, Ghazipur and Sitapur on August 18, Ballia on August 19, Gorakhpur on August 23 and Chandauli on August 28
Rai concluded by reaffirming the Congress party’s commitment to honouring the sacrifices of freedom fighters and preserving the true history of India’s independence struggle.