Sonia Gandhi accuses BJP of 'vilifying' Nehru; BJP retorts on 'surname'

• Sonia Gandhi accused the BJP of "vilifying" Jawaharlal Nehru's legacy, stating their goal is to "denigrate, distort, demean, and defame" India's first PM and destroy the nation's foundations.
• Gandhi emphasized that while analysis of Nehru's contributions is welcome, deliberate mischief with his words and actions is unacceptable, aiming to diminish his role and rewrite history.
• The BJP rejected Gandhi's remarks, with spokesperson Tom Vadakkan retorting that if she truly respected Nehru, she would have carried forward the "Nehru surname."
• Vadakkan alleged that efforts were made to obscure Nehru’s missteps, including scandals and the 1962 Sino-India war, and criticized the family for preferring the "Gandhi" surname.

Why It Matters: It highlights the political weaponization of historical figures and national legacy.