Congress leaders slammed the Indian Council for Historical Research (ICHR) for omitting Jawaharlal Nehru's photograph from the "Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav". The celebrations mark the 75th year of India's independence.
The ICHR website shows photos of Mahatma Gandhi, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh, BR Ambedkar, Sardar Vallabhai Patel, Rajendra Prasad, Madan Mohan Malviya and Veer Savarkar, but not Nehru.
Sharing a screenshot of the website, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh termed the move atrocious and said, "Not surprising from this regime and its toadies masquerading as scholars but atrocious nevertheless."
While party spokesperson Gaurav Gogoi slammed that it was "petty" and "injustice" to remove the first prime minister from a website about the freedom struggle, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said that ICHR had disgraced itself by omitting Nehru's picture.
"Which other country would remove their first head of state from a website about the freedom struggle? ICHR's removal of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Abul Kalam Azad is petty and an injustice. India will not forget that the RSS chose to stay away from the Indian freedom movement," Gogoi tweeted.
"It is not merely petty but absolutely ahistorical to celebrate Azadi by omitting the pre-eminent voice of Indian freedom, Jawaharlal Nehru. One more occasion for ICHR to disgrace itself. This is becoming a habit," said Tharoor while sharing the picture of the "Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav" celebrations.
Questioning the omission, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera tweeted, "Will removing Nehru's photo increase one's stature? A dwarf will remain a dwarf."
The ICHR has not responded to the allegations.