Rajasthan CM terms Partition as the world's 'greatest tragedy'

Jaipur, Aug 12 (IANS) Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma termed the Partition as the world’s “greatest human tragedy,” recalling that just before Independence, over 10 lakh people were killed and lakhs of families were destroyed.

He was speaking in a seminar, Vibhajan Vibhishika Smriti Diwas, a seminar organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party, Jaipur City, at Birla Auditorium. He said that great leaders sacrificed everything for India’s freedom, but the greed for power and appeasement politics led to the country’s division.

“Trains from Pakistan used to arrive full of dead bodies, showing the scale of Partition’s horror. Even today, Hindus in Pakistan face injustice,” he said.

Sharma accused past governments of failing to grant citizenship to displaced persons from Pakistan and even refusing compensation for their lost property.

“The Congress, which sacrificed lakhs for power, today lectures us on unity. The party that divided the nation can never unite it,” he stated.

Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said that his government fulfilled the decades-old responsibility by granting citizenship to victims under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

He also lauded Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh volunteers for serving refugees during Partition. Programme' State Convener Ashok Parnami recalled the suffering of those who fled Pakistan in 1947, including forced conversions and atrocities against women. He thanked Union Home Minister Amit Shah for ensuring justice to victims through the CAA.

“This day is not for political gain but to present historical truth and learn from it,” Parnami added. He blamed the Congress and the Gandhi family for Partition, calling it a political decision, not a necessity.

“If Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had been in power, Partition could have been avoided,” he asserted, adding that Hindus from Pakistan are hardworking citizens, not refugees.

Prominent leaders, including Deputy CM Diya Kumari, Dr. Premchand Bairwa, former State President Arun Chaturvedi, former Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore, ministers, MLAs, and senior party officials attended the event, which was conducted by former MLA Ramlal Sharma.

--IANS

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