New Delhi, Jun 28 (IANS): BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi on Friday made sharp comparisons between three-time Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who was the first PM of the country to have three-consecutive terms.
The BJP MP, starting off the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address in the Upper House, spoke at length explaining how PM Modi remains "much ahead and matchless" as compared to India’s first PM Jawaharlal Nehru and cited many examples of their leadership traits amidst a loud uproar by Congress members.
Sudhanshu Trivedi took many jibes at the Congress and said that he, too, agreed with them that the two Prime Ministers can't be compared.
"First, the Opposition got bewildered and perplexed over PM Modi becoming Prime Minister for the third time and when they saw it happening, switched to another rhetoric that he can't be compared with India's first PM. I agree with them on this," he said sarcastically.
The BJP MP then went on to list three key points to explain why PM Modi edges ahead of his three-time counterpart, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
He narrated how Narendra Modi refused to attend the BJP Parliamentary Board meeting in September 2013, where his name was being considered for the party's prime ministerial candidate.
Dr Trivedi said that it was he who took the then Gujarat CM to the party office and saw him waiting till the BJP Parliamentary Board meeting ended. This shows his "humility and respect for the democratic process," he added.
In contrast, he pointed out that Pandit Nehru was selected as the prime ministerial candidate in 1946 after Mahatma Gandhi urged Maulana Azad to withdraw his candidacy as he wanted Jawaharlal Nehru to become the PM.
Citing several historical books, the BJP MP said, "Nehru did not receive a single vote in the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, but despite getting zero votes in the meeting, he was selected as the candidate."
"How can the two be compared when one was selected unanimously while the other got zero votes? On one side, there is one leader who won support across party lines while there was another leader whom his own party abandoned?" the BJP MP said.
Pointing out another difference, Sudhanshu Trivedi cited the case of poet Majrooh Sultanpuri, who wrote a critical verse on the then PM, saying that Jawaharlal Nehru was a reflection of Adolf Hitler and subsequently faced a two-year jail sentence.
"In contrast, today, there are multiple instances of leaders hurling abuse and insulting remarks at PM Modi, but they enjoy full freedom. Some of the noted ones with ‘tukde-tukde’ reference have also been elected to the other House," he said.
Sudhanshu Trivedi then went on to point out the honours bestowed on PM Modi by many foreign countries, including Muslim nations.
"Bhutan, France, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Russia, and Maldives, along with Muslim-majority countries like Egypt, UAE, Bahrain, Afghanistan, and Palestine, have bestowed their highest honours on PM Modi," he told the House members.
Drawing attention to the Modi dispensation's inclusive governance, he said that not just veterans like Lal Krishna Advani and late Atal Bihari Vajpayee were bestowed with the nation's highest civilian awards but three senior Congress leaders too were accorded the same honour, namely Madan Mohan Malviya, Pranab Mukherjee and PV Narasimha Rao.
Many others, like SC Jamir and Tarun Gogoi, were awarded Padma Bhushan, a practice unseen during Congress regimes.
Trivedi asserted that PM Modi's leadership and electoral success remain unmatched and unparalleled.
"PM Modi's standards and achievements in terms of electoral race and governance remain incomparable to anyone," he added.