PANJIM: Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Girish Chodankar on Sunday claimed that former senior BJP leader and late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was “eating everything” that today his party is objecting to.
Chodankar also claimed that country’s face would have been different had Vajpayee been active in politics during last four to five years.
In an unexpected move, Congress party on Sunday held a meet at its state office to condole the death of Vajpayee, who passed away on August 16. The Congress recalled that Vajpayee was a great leader who never had a single enemy.
“If Vajpayee was active in the political during last four to five years then he would have curbed the attempts to divide people on the basis of religion. He would also not let anyone dictate to the people what they should eat and what they should not,” Chodankar said during the condolence meet.
“Vajpayee used to eat everything. Those things which these people (BJP) are telling us not to eat, he used to enjoy them. He had courage to confess what he was eating,” he added
“He had the courage to say that ‘I am a Bachelor but I am not Brahmachari’. He had the courage to admit what he is. I feel people from his party should learn from Vajpayee,” Chodankar said.
The Congress leader recalled that late Vajpayee had made a statement that if India is not a secular nation, then India is not India at all. “India is going in a different direction. We need leaders like Vajpayee to give proper direction to the country, even if he belonged to different political ideology,” Chodankar said.
“We hope that leaders like Vajpayee should be there in different parties so that India will remain united. There will not be division on caste and religion,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar said that the country will always miss his ideology and the way he respected even his political opponents.
“Despite being into a party which is against secularism, Vajpayee stood for secularism,” he said.
Kavlekar further said that Vajpayee was a towering figure in our national life and throughout his life, he stood for democratic values.
Another congress leader MK Sheikh said that India was fortunate to have leader like Vajpayee, who while his tenure as Prime Minister, always respected the opposition and had even motivated them. “The biggest achievement of his life was that he never had a single enemy despite being from a party, which is known for spreading hatred,” he stated.
Leaders like Ramakant Khalap, N Shivdas also spoke on the occasion.
