Nehru’s weakness was he wanted to be messenger of peace, says Maharashtra governor Koshyari

Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Monday criticised former Prime Minister the late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru saying his policies weakened the country

Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Monday criticised former Prime Minister the late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru saying his policies weakened the country. Except for the tenure of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the security of the country was neglected by previous governments, Koshyari said, at an event organized to celebrate the 22nd anniversary of ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas’ at Raj Bhavan.

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“I admire Pandit (Jawaharlal) Nehru, but he had the biggest weakness. He wanted to become a messenger of peace and release pigeons. His contribution towards the country is huge, but due to this weakness, the nation has become too weak and remained in the same position for a long period,” Koshyari remarked.

He then alleged all successive governments at the Centre, led by the Congress, were weak and scared of pressure over national security. “Except for of Vajpayeeji’s (Atal Bihar Vajpayee) tenure, the focus of the previous governments towards national security was minimal. I remember Vajpayeeji conducted a nuclear test in 1998, which could have been conducted 20 years ago as our scientists were ready, but the previous governments were afraid of conducting the test. Many countries such as the United States, United Kingdom etc. imposed a ban after the test was conducted in 1998, but Vajpayeeji trusted the people of our country,” the governor claimed.

The Congress slammed the governor, saying his comments are unfortunate and a distortion of reality. “Being a proponent of peace doesn’t mean being weak. If that is the case then former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who took Sada-e-Sarhad bus to Lahore (Pakistan), former deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani, who visited the mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who reached Lahore in an unscheduled visit to greet then Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif will also be called as weak,” said Ashok Chavan, state public works minister.

He further said many institutions were merged under the leadership of Pandit Nehru after the country got independence. “Pandit Nehru also marked the beginning of the dream of a modern, scientific India. His contribution in building the infrastructure and deciding the foreign policy of the country under very adverse conditions is unforgettable,” he said.