Congress rejects Advani's contention on Patel banning RSS

New Delhi, Aug 21 (PTI) The Congress Friday rejected
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L K Advani's statement
that Sardar Patel had banned Rashtriya Seva Sangh (RSS) at
Jawaharlal Nehru's behest.

"BJP leaders have been maintaining so far that Sardar
Patel was an iron man. Now they say he acted under pressure. I
reject the contention that Patel used to work under pressure,"
party spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan said.

Referring to Jaswant Singh's criticism of Patel and
that he had banned RSS, Advani had Friday said "Jaswant is
saying only half of what had happened and not the other half.

"One month later, Patel wrote a letter to Nehru saying
that there is not an iota of evidence against RSS," Advani was
quoted as saying by BJP leader Sushma Swaraj.

On whether Jaswant Singh's book on Jinnah should be
banned, Natarajan said "we have not read the book" but added
"we categorically reject the content of the book as reported
in media".

Asked when will the party leaders read the book and
give a clear cut reply on whether it should be banned, the
party spokesperson remarked, "when history is distorted, when
Jinnah is eulogised and other important freedom fighters are
criticised, it does not become the bounden duty of Congress
workers to read the book." PTI AMR
DDC
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