Swapna Kumbar , Bengaluru - A fresh political war of words has erupted after Prime Minister Narendra Modi surpassed Jawaharlal Nehru's tenure as India's longest-serving continuously elected Prime Minister. While the BJP celebrated the milestone as a historic achievement, the Congress dismissed the claim and accused the ruling party of attempting to diminish the contributions of India's first Prime Minister and other leaders who shaped the nation after Independence.

Reacting to the development, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh criticized the government's portrayal of the record and described it as a "dubiously invented" milestone. He argued that the period between 1947 and 1952, when Jawaharlal Nehru served as Prime Minister during the formative years of independent India, should not be overlooked. Ramesh emphasized that nation-building during those years was a collective effort involving several prominent leaders, including Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, C. Rajagopalachari, and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.

The Congress leader further alleged that the BJP was attempting to rewrite history by downplaying Nehru's role in laying the foundations of modern India. He accused Prime Minister Modi of having a "pathological fixation" on Nehru and claimed that the achievements of the early post-Independence period were being deliberately ignored. The BJP, meanwhile, defended the significance of the milestone, highlighting Modi's electoral victories and his more than decade-long tenure in office as evidence of sustained public support.

The debate surrounding Modi's tenure milestone has once again highlighted the deep political divide between the BJP and Congress over the interpretation of India's history and legacy. As both parties seek to shape the public narrative, the discussion is likely to remain a prominent issue in the country's political discourse.