The Bharatiya Janata Party government in Karnataka skipped Jawaharlal Nehru from the list of freedom fighters in an advertisement to promote the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign. This caused a meltdown of Congress leaders. Many Congress leaders and supporters including the former chief minister Siddaramaiah took to Twitter to criticize this move. It is notable that Jawaharlal Nehru’s sketch appears in the advertisement alongside the drawings of other great leaders from that time like Veer Savarkar.
The advertisement mentions, “Let’s be inspired by the sacrifices of our freedom fighters and emulate their selfless patriotism. The history of India’s freedom movement is filled with the sacrifices of millions of Indians. Today, as we celebrate India’s 76th year of independence, we must remember and pay tribute to them and take the pledge to emulate their selfless patriotism.”
Reacting to this advertisement for the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign, former chief minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah tweeted, “When we thought slavery ended with the British gone, chief minister of Karnataka Basavaraj Bommai proved everyone wrong by showing that he is still a slave to RSS. Not including Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in the list of freedom fighters in today’s govt ad shows how low a CM can go to save his chair.”
When we thought slavery ended with the British gone, @CMofKarnataka @BSBommai proved everyone wrong by showing that he is still a slave to @RSSorg
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) August 14, 2022
Not including #PanditJawaharlalNehru in the list of freedom fighters in today’s govt ad shows how low a CM can go to save his chair. pic.twitter.com/QHULS19ycG
Another Congress leader Sudhakar Kamble tweeted, “Jawaharlal Nehru has been deliberately omitted from the Independence Day advertisement released by the BJP government in Karnataka. This is called sheer shamelessness.”
Jawaharlal Nehru has been deliberately omitted from the Independence Day advertisement released by the
— kamble sudhakar (@inc_sudhakar) August 14, 2022
BJP government in Karnataka.
This is called sheer shamelessness.@INCIndia @INCMahaSC@INCMaharashtra @INCKarnataka@narendramodi @rajnathsingh@BJP4India @ndtv @BJP4Karnataka pic.twitter.com/R7r442aZ05
Another Twitter user Guruprasad tweeted, “BJP’s Karnataka govt went all-time low by removing Nehru from below ad, and shoving British bootlicker Savarkar. The only schools of fools think they can re-write history. History is a set of events, carried by generations.”
@BJP4Karnataka govt went all time low by removing Nehru from below ad. And shoving British bootlicker Savarkar.
— Guruprasad (@gprasd) August 14, 2022
Only school of fools think they can re-write history.
History is set of events, carried by generations.
I thought @Karnataka_DIPR got some sense..🤷♀️ pic.twitter.com/87YmCUjMJa
Another Twitter user The Fact Finder posted, “Someone spent 9 years in Jail & was one of India’s biggest freedom fighters is missing from the below ad QUIZ: who is he?”
#someone is spent 9 years in Jail & was one of India biggest freedom fighters is missing from the below ad ….. QUIZ: who is he ? pic.twitter.com/nmf1jMhbmP
— The Fact Finder (@TheFactFindr) August 14, 2022
Jailed Jawaharlal Nehru was aided by his influential father
It is notable that Jawaharlal Nehru preferred to benefit from his father and influential lawyer Motilal Nehru to get an early release from prison rather than serving a long-term punishment when he was jailed in 1923. In sharp contrast with Veer Savarkar who endured limitless hardships in the cellular jail of Andaman, Jawaharlal Nehru began to wear out in jail in Jaitu in Nabha because it had no arrangements for new clothes and showers.
In the case of political arrests, the usual policy for accused freedom fighters has been to not defend themselves in case of arrests. Although the former PM initially thought that he would only be tried for violating State orders, the invocation of ‘conspiracy’ by the prosecution made him baffled. It implied a jail term of 2 years. And Jawaharlal Nehru, who had earlier pledged to not defend himself, began seeking an outside lawyer. However, he was not provided with counsel and was instead sentenced to 6 months for violation of State orders and 18-24 months for conspiracy.
Motilal Nehru then deputed lawyer K D Malviya, who later became a Cabinet Minister after India’s independence. And surprisingly, his sentence was suspended on the same evening. In the words of Professor Chaman Lal, he said, “Nehru was released from the Nabha jail only after he signed a bond that he would never enter the princely state again.” This is how Jawaharlal Nehru was quick to get his sentence suspended by signing a bond with the aide of his influential father.
India celebrates 75 years of Independence on 15th August 2022.
