Gandhinagar, March 30 The BJP launched a scathing attack on Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra on Monday over her statement comparing the contributions of Bengalis and Gujaratis to the freedom struggle, accusing her of questioning India's integrity with a "ridiculous display of wisdom".
The Gujarat BJP said that although the opposition party has ignored Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's role in the freedom struggle, insulting Mahatma Gandhi, who hailed from the state, is an insult to the entire country.
"People from every state, language, and community fought for the freedom of the country, and over six lakh people were martyred. This statement by Moitra is baseless and a ridiculous display of her wisdom," said Gautam Gediya, the BJP's state vice-president.
During a recent press conference in Kolkata, the Lok Sabha MP from Krishnanagar had said that Bengalis are a very proud race who led the "war for independence" against the British, and claimed that not a single Gujarati was at Kala Pani, the Cellular Jail built by the British in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, except for their "big hero" V D Savarkar, who only wanted to sit and write apology letters.
Gediya alleged that Moitra had a habit of asking questions in Parliament for money, and asked if she had made the statement comparing Gujaratis with Bengalis after taking money.
"Moitra has a history of asking questions in Parliament based on the money she receives for them. She has a divisive mindset. I would like to ask her whether this statement has also been made after taking money," he said, apparently referring to the cash-for-query scandal she was embroiled in.
"This is a matter of the country's integrity. And it is important. This is not for politics, but for the unity and integrity of India," he said.
Gediya said that Sardar Patel launched the freedom movement from Bardoli in present-day Gujarat, which led to different movements across the country.
"It is obvious that the Congress has neglected and insulted him. Still, after independence, people revere Sardar Patel, who dreamt of an undivided India by uniting 562 kings (princely states)," he said.
Apart from Sardar Patel, many freedom fighters from Gujarat made valuable contributions to the freedom struggle, but many incidents from the state were not included in books.
"We are all familiar with the Jallianwala Bagh massacre (in Punjab). But in Gujarat, there is a hill near Santrampur, where the British had killed more than 1,500 tribals," he said.
The BJP leader further alleged that it was the opposition's "sick" mentality to ignore the contributions of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel and Savarkar, and countless others who lost their lives in the fight for independence.