Opposition Congress MLAs staged a protest outside Madhya Pradesh State Assembly here today demanding the reinstalling of late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s portrait behind the Assembly Speaker’s chair inside the House.
The full-length photo of Nehru, which was placed behind the Speaker’s chair for many years, was removed by the BJP government. It has been replaced by a photo of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar.
There was a row in the Assembly on the issue yesterday. Today morning, Congress MLAs, led by Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar, staged a dharna under Mahatma Gandhi’s statue, just outside the entrance gate of the Assembly. The opposition MLAs held photos of B R Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel in their hands.
Singhar said the Congress has no objection at all to Dr Ambedkar’s photo. He, however, demanded that Nehru’s photo should not be removed at any cost and it should be put back at its original position.
Singhar accused the BJP of trying to alter history and erase the ideology of Jawaharlal Nehru, who played a pivotal role in creating a modern and developed India.