BJP recognizes PV Narasimha Rao's legacy after Congress party humiliates him even after his death
What is more shamefull is, on one hand PV Narasimha Rao despite being a Former Prime Minister was denied a final resting place in Delhi, however on the onther hand Sanjay Gandhi, who never held a public office, was laid to rest in Delhi next to Shanti Van, the samadhi of Jawaharlal Nehru.
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Today, the Former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao has been posthumously awarded the prestigious Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor. This recognition comes as a fitting tribute to a leader who, despite facing numerous challenges and instances of marginalization within his own party, made significant contributions to Indian politics and economic reforms.
PV Narasimha Rao was not only the first Prime Minister from the Congress party outside the Nehru-Gandhi family but also a patriot who transcended the sycophancy and factionalism often associated with political parties. His leadership was marked by a steadfast commitment to the nation's progress and a vision for economic advancement.
PV Narasimha Rao was the one who rescued India from the verge of bankruptcy and paved the way for India's economic liberalisation.When Nehru's economic model and its subsequent socialist policies implemented by successive congress government had hindered industrilization and trade leading the nation into an economic crisis, former Prime Minister P.V. Narsimha Rao emerged as a ray of hope who opened up our nation's economy to the World and laid the foundation for comprehensive development. Rao had brought globalization and its economic benefits to Indian doorstep.
The Congress stalwart is often credited with bringing economic reforms to India in 1991, which paved the way for the end of notorious 'license raj'. The "notorious license raj" was known for its bureaucratic hurdles and stifling regulations. Dismantling it, paved the way for increased private sector participation, foreign investment, and economic growth.
PV Narasimha Rao symbolized a complete break from the congress' past starting with Nehru, Indira Gandhi and further followed by Rajiv Gandhi. He negated all that the Congress party had stood for until then and that is why the congress ignored and mistreated the iconic former Prime Minister.
However, Rao's political journey was a stormy one. Despite his loyalty to the Grand old party, he faced isolation after his premiership ended. PV Narasimha Rao, despite his significant contributions to Indian politics and economic reforms, faced challenges and instances of marginalization within the Congress.
Political Isolation: After his tenure as Prime Minister ended in 1996, PV Narasimha Rao faced political isolation within his own party. Despite his significant contributions to Indian politics, he was sidelined by the Congress leadership, which could be seen as a form of humiliation for a veteran politician.
Legal Troubles: In his later years, PV Narasimha Rao faced legal troubles. In 2000, he was convicted in a corruption case related to bribes during a parliamentary election in 1993. Although he appealed the conviction, the fact that a former Prime Minister was embroiled in such legal matters could be considered humiliating.
Treatment of His Body: The treatment meted out to PV Narasimha Rao — a former prime minister, a former chief minister and a former Congress president — by his own party (which was in power at the Centre and in the state where he was eventually cremated) remains one of the most shameful chapters in Indian history.
PV Narasimha Rao death should have occasioned national mourning and a tribute matching one of India’s greatest leaders. Instead, he was denied even basic human dignity and in death, endured the final act of humiliation authored by a vengeful party that was desperate to erase his name and legacy.
P.V. Narsimha Rao funeral was not allowed in Delhi by the UPA government. Congress leader and loyalist to the Nehru-Gandhi Family persuaded Rao's childern to move the body to Hyderabad and Hold a funeral there. In Half Lion, a biography of PV Narasimha Rao, author Vinay Sitapati, who had exclusive access to Rao’s personal documents and papers, writes that his family wanted to perform Rao’s last rites in Delhi — his karmabhoomi for decades — but were discouraged by Congress leaders.
“The home minister, Shivraj Patil, suggested to Rao’s youngest son, Prabhakara, that ‘the body should be cremated in Hyderabad’. But the family preferred Delhi. After all, Rao had last been chief minister of Andhra Pradesh more than thirty years ago, and had since worked as Congress general secretary, Union minister, and finally prime minister — all in Delhi. On hearing this, the usually decorous Shivraj Patil snapped, ‘No one will come.’
While it was customary for the mortals of the past congress presidents to be taken inside the party headquarters so that ordinary workers could pay their respects. However when PV Narasimha Rao's body was brought party headquarters, that the gates remain firmly shut on the orders of Sonia Gandhi.
“A friend of Rao’s asked a senior Congresswoman to let the body in. ‘The gate does not open,’ she replied. ‘This was untrue,’ the friend remembers. ‘When Madhavrao Scindia died [some years earlier] the gate was opened for him.’ Manmohan Singh now lives in a guarded bungalow a few minutes from Akbar Road. When asked why Rao’s body wasn’t allowed into the Congress headquarters, he replies that he was present, but has no knowledge of this. Another Congressman was more forthcoming. "We were expecting the gate to be opened . . . but no order came. Only one person could give that order," he said. He added, "She did not give it.”
Moreover, the shocking pictures of Rao’s half-burnt bones, skull and other parts of the body were beamed on Telugu television channels around 11 p.m. Saturday. Quoting eyewitnesses, the TV reports highlighted how the authorities had shown disrespect to a former Prime Minister by not arranging enough firewood for his funeral. It all started when some people on the banks of Hussain Sagar Lake, where PV Narasimha Rao was cremated Saturday afternoon, noticed that the body was not fully burnt but the pyre was about to die. They alerted TV channels, and dozens of cameramen soon gathered to shoot the scene.
A reminder of how the Congress treated PV Narasimha Rao, possibly their most consequential PM:
— Indian Tintin (@IndianTintin_) June 21, 2023
"His half-burnt body with the skull still visible was lying abandoned. And dogs were pulling at it."
From Vinay Sitapati's "Half-Lion". https://t.co/OFh1gG5EnY pic.twitter.com/ex8wOgNNSE
When the pictures were beamed on some channels, Narasimha Rao’s sons, state ministers and leaders of the Congress party rushed to the deserted site and revived the pyre with additional firewood stored nearby. The police then encircled the entire area and restricted the movement of people. What is more shamefull is, on one hand PV Narasimha Rao despite being a Former Prime Minister was denied a final resting place in Delhi, however on the onther hand Sanjay Gandhi, who never held a public office, was laid to rest in Delhi next to Shanti Van, the samadhi of Jawaharlal Nehru.
PV Narasimha Rao became a convenient scapegoat for the Congress party's need to distance itself from the fallout of the demolition of the Babri Masjid. The demolition, a deeply contentious and polarizing event in Indian history, occurred during PV Narasimha Rao's tenure as Prime Minister. The Congress party, historically known for its secular stance and its appeal to minority communities, found itself in a precarious position following the Babri Masjid demolition. In this context, the party's disparagement of PV Narasimha Rao and its perceived humiliation of him in death can be interpreted as an implicit acknowledgment of the need to "punish" him for what was seen as a failure to protect the Babri Masjid and to safeguard the Congress party's longstanding Muslim vote bank.
The London-based Economist laments that “PV Narasimha Rao had committed the sin of being insufficiently deferential to the Gandhi dynasty while in power. He spent his final years as a pariah. His name was scrubbed from the Congress Party’s lore, and credit for his achievements was given to Manmohan Singh and Rajiv Gandhi.”
Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar has sparked controversy by calling former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao "communal" and "the first BJP PM."
His posthumous recognition with the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, acknowledges his role in shaping India's economic policies and advancing the nation's development. This recognition serves to underscore his importance in Indian history and PV Narasimha Rao legacy as a leader who made significant strides in economic reform, despite the challenges he faced within his own party. It also reflects a broader acknowledgment of PV Narasimha Rao's role in steering India through a crucial period of economic transformation.
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