Hyderabad: The Telangana BJP on Friday came down heavily on the Congress for its “shameless and opportunistic attempt” to recall former Congress president Sitaram Kesri on his 25th death anniversary — an act the BJP said was nothing more than a desperate pre-election gimmick aimed at Bihar voters.
State BJP Chief Spokesperson and Media In-charge N.V. Subash ridiculed the Congress for “suddenly discovering affection” for a leader it had once humiliated, saying, “The party that insulted, manhandled, and erased the memory of its own senior leaders now pretends to honour them for electoral gains. Can hypocrisy get any worse?”
Subash recalled how Sitaram Kesri, a veteran OBC leader from Bihar who rose through the ranks to become Congress president, was physically manhandled and ousted from 24 Akbar Road by loyalists of the Gandhi family when Sonia Gandhi decided to reclaim control of the party in 1998.
“The same dynasty that denied him dignity in life and even in death is now garlanding his portrait for votes. The people of Bihar are not fools — they remember everything,” he said.
The BJP leader said the Congress has a long history of erasing or sidelining stalwarts who didn’t belong to the Gandhi family. “From Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to P.V. Narasimha Rao, the party has repeatedly shown contempt for leaders who truly built the nation. Patel was forgotten for decades. Narasimha Rao, who rescued India’s collapsing economy, was denied even a proper cremation in Delhi. And now, the same party wants to shed crocodile tears for Kesri — just because Bihar goes to polls,” Subash charged.
In sharp contrast, Subash said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently honoured great leaders across party lines, irrespective of ideology. “Modi ji’s tributes are genuine — not guided by political calculations. Launching his Bihar campaign from the hometown of late Chief Minister Karpuri Thakur, one of the tallest OBC icons, is a true mark of respect for the state’s legacy. That is how leaders are honoured, not through photo-ops orchestrated at party headquarters,” he asserted.
Mocking the Congress event where Rahul Gandhi garlanded Kesri’s portrait at 24 Akbar Road, Subash said, “This is nothing but a grand show of hypocrisy — a classic case of a ‘Copy Cat Congress’ trying to imitate Modi’s sincerity with political theatre.”
He said the Congress party’s sudden interest in its forgotten leaders only exposes its deep insecurity and fear of irrelevance. “Every time Modi ji remembers and honours the nation’s true icons, the Congress rushes to imitate him — but without conviction, only calculation,” Subash said.
“The people of Bihar can clearly see through this charade. The dynasty that disrespected its own president Sitaram Kesri now seeks his blessings for votes. This is not homage — it’s damage control,” he concluded.
