Congress slams Kovind for skipping Nehru in inaugural speech

Congress on Tuesday criticised President Ram Nath Kovind for not mentioning India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru in his inaugural address.

“This is very sad and unfortunate that he took Jawaharlal Nehru's cabinet ministers' name in his speech, but did not mention the name of Nehru Ji who was a freedom fighter and the first prime minister of the country,” senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters here.

Azad said the President should remember that he was no more the BJP candidate but the candidate of India. “He has to protect the Constitution of India and rise above and think beyond party politics,” the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha said.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad hit back at Azad wondering whether the Congress was trying to undermine Nehru forcing his mention in every speech.

He said that the President’s inaugural speech was inclusive.

Prasad çountered the Congress demanding to know why the party had demeaned Sardar Patel.