Congress reminds Jyotiraditya Scindia of family history, as he attacks Rahul Gandhi

The Congress on Thursday, 7 November, offered BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia a history lesson, following his criticism of Rahul Gandhi's article on the 'new breed of monopolists', which referenced the royal dynasties that kowtowed to the British East India Company.

Congress leaders dismissed Scindia's outrage, saying the minister now has to 'prove his loyalty to his new bosses every day' by defaming and denigrating those who built him up. The opposition party also recalled how the Scindia rulers had supported the East India Company during the British period.

The Congress' jibe at the Union minister came after Scindia tagged Gandhi's article in the Indian Express on Wednesday, 6 November, and said, 'Those who sell hatred have no right to lecture on Indian pride and history.'

'Rahul Gandhi's ignorance about Bharat's rich heritage and his colonial mindset have crossed all limits,' Scindia claimed in a post on X on Wednesday. His 'educational' list of Indian heroes laid for Gandhi seems to highlight exclusively the contributions of royal families.

In an obvious swipe at Scindia, Congress general secretary (in-charge, communications) Jairam Ramesh posted about an unnamed personage and said the man who reeks of entitlement is sermonising on it.

'His eminently more likeable father had challenged Indira Gandhi's decision to abolish privy purses and princely privileges in the Supreme Court. But a few years later, he joined the Congress and prospered politically,' Ramesh said.

'He bequeathed a legacy to his son — who then did well for himself, and got much more than what he deserved in the Congress. He now has to prove his loyalty to his new bosses every day by defaming and denigrating those who built him up in the first place. It is worse than pathetic!" Ramesh said on X.

Scindia was in the Congress leadership for a long while until he quit the party and joined the BJP in 2020 following differences with its leadership, especially in his home state of Madhya Pradesh, leading to the fall of the then Kamal Nath-led Congress government.

The Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said, 'His Highness Scindia-ji took Rahul-ji's attack on the monopolistic corporation a little too personally. This corporation had looted India by enslaving India by intimidating the nawabs and rajas and princes of India with its hold.'

According to history, the role of the Scindia family of Gwalior was complex in the freedom struggle of 1857, he said. (We hope Khera was ironic in his address, for it was the Congress party that led the movement to outlaw monarchies in independent India where all would be equal.)

'Shrimant Jayajirao Scindia, who was the ruler of Gwalior at that time, sent his army to help the East India Company and took action against the rebels. It is clear in history that Shrimant Jayajirao supported that monopolistic corporation. We do not doubt his patriotism; he must have been under pressure. Rahul-ji has also mentioned the same pressure in his article,' Khera said in his post in Hindi on X.

'Anyway, many soldiers and officers of the Gwalior army had joined the rebellion, because they had overcome their fear. Tatya Tope, the leader of the Hindustani rebels, and Rani Lakshmibai had captured Gwalior,' the Congress leader pointed out.

Jayajirao Scindia had to flee his palace, but later he regained control of Gwalior with the help of the East India Company, Khera said.

'Thus, formally the Scindia rulers supported the East India Company, but many members of their army joined the freedom struggle, because the people were more intelligent, patriotic and fearless than the rulers,' he said.

Even in later years, the Scindia family generally adopted a policy of cooperation with the British Raj, Khera said.

'Scindia-ji, history inspires us to move forward by learning lessons, not to live on false fabrications. This is what is called bhoot (past) gaining control. Well, I have tried to exorcise your bhoot (past) with the true history of the rebellion of Indians against that monopolistic corporation in 1857. Hope it has been exorcised,' Khera said.

'Otherwise I will have to send a whole bundle of history books to your residence so that your bhoot (past) is exorcised,' Khera continued. And secondly, I will also have to send a truckload of courage from the farmers, labourers, Dalits and tribals of the country so that you can become stronger to speak against the monopolistic corporations that are currently running in the country.'

In his post, Scindia had said, 'If you (Rahul Gandhi) claim to 'uplift' the nation, stop insulting Bharat Mata and learn about true Indian heroes like Mahadji Scindia, Yuvraj Bir Tikendrajit, Kittur Chennamma, and Rani Velu Nachiyar, who fiercely fought for our freedom.'

'Your selective amnesia about your own privilege is a disservice to those truly striving against adversity. Your dissonance only exposes Congress' agenda further — Rahul Gandhi is no champion of Atmanirbhar Bharat; he is merely a product of an outdated entitlement,' Scindia had said.

India's legacy doesn't begin or end with the title 'Gandhi' and only under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership are the stories of our real warriors finally celebrated, Scindia claimed.

'Respect Bharat's history, or don't pretend to speak for her!' the BJP leader had directed at Gandhi.

In his opinion piece, Gandhi had said the original East India Company wound up over 150 years ago, but the raw fear it then generated is back with a new breed of monopolists having taken its place.

He, however, asserted that a 'new deal for progressive Indian business is an idea whose time has come'.

Gandhi said India was silenced by the East India Company and it was silenced not by its business prowess, but by its chokehold.

The Company choked India by partnering with, bribing and threatening more pliant maharajas and nawabs, he pointed out.

Today (7 November), on X, Gandhi claimed that his article seems to have hit a nerve, with a certain senior minister calling on businesspersons to endorse the current government and prime minister on social media.

He also put out a 'clarification' at being misrepresented by various entities, saying he was not anti-business, but anti-monopoly.

With edited PTI inputs