Congress Stumped As Mouthpiece Criticises Sonia Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru

All India | Reported by Saurabh Gupta, Edited by Deepshikha Ghosh | Updated: December 28, 2015 11:09 IST

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Congress is investigating how its mouthpiece carried an article criticising Sonia Gandhi

Mumbai:  The Congress is deeply embarrassed with its mouthpiece in Maharashtra featuring articles that have criticized Sonia Gandhi and also questioned Jawaharlal Nehru, the party's biggest icon.

An article in the December issue of "Congress Darshan", while describing Sonia Gandhi's life, says that her father was a member of the fascist forces in Italy.

Another article says Mrs Gandhi became Congress president 62 days after joining the party as a primary member in 1997, and also made a failed attempt to form government.

In yet another article, there is a detailed critique of Jawaharlal Nehru's policies and the repeated suggestion that the first prime minister should have taken his deputy Sardar Valabhbhai Patel's advice.The article says that if Jawaharlal Nehru had taken into account the views of Sardar Patel, who was also the home minister, the Kashmir situation would not have come to what it is today."Nehru (PM) was in charge of foreign affairs and kept Kashmir with him, citing it as an international issue. But Patel, being deputy PM, would sometimes attend the cabinet meetings. Today's problems wouldn't have existed had Patel's foresight in the Kashmir issue been considered then," says the article that pays tribute to Sardar Patel on his December 15 death anniversary.

Jawaharlal Nehru's policies on China, Tibet and Nepal are also criticised.

Senior party leader Sanjay Nirupam, who is the editor of Congress Darshan, said: "The kind of words that have been used in Congress Darshan are worrying. I take responsibility for this, and the matter shall be investigated thoroughly. We will take action against those responsible and ensure that this never happens again."

Congress sources say there were some "editorial mistakes and incorrect usage of some words and attributing of motives."

The controversy has emerged on a day the party is celebrating the 131st anniversary of its birth.

"If any Congress mouthpiece has written something like this, then the All India Congress Committee will look into it," said former union minister Salman Khurshid.