Ranchi, Feb 6: BJP’s vocal spokesperson Pratul Shah Dev unleashed a fierce critique of Congress’s independence-era record, labeling their efforts as a mere ‘friendly match’ with the departing British.
During a candid conversation with IANS, Dev exposed what he called Congress’s superficial engagement with the freedom struggle. Nehru’s imprisonment was far from austere—think multi-room cells and clothes washed in Paris. Beyond Quit India, there were no substantial agitations, he noted.
Dismissing Congress icons, Dev said only Lala Lajpat Rai stands out; the rest toed the British line, even taking oaths to Queen Victoria. Nehru’s Cabinet Mission role was strategic self-promotion, not patriotism.
Post-1947, the persistence of Mountbatten as Viceroy and British officers in top military posts for half a decade underscores Congress’s complicity. ‘They can’t claim freedom’s mantle,’ Dev argued, painting a picture of opportunism over valor.