New Delhi, Dec. 8 -- As Parliament opened a special debate on Monday to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the national song 'Vande Mataram', Prime Minister Narendra Modi used the occasion to revisit, sharply question, the legacy of India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
What began as a discussion on the national song quickly shifted into a broader political examination of Nehruvian decisions in both the pre and post-Independence eras, with the opposition claiming government of using the debate to divert attention from contemporary challenges and upcoming elections in West Bengal.
Modi, who initiated the debate, accused Nehru and the Congress leadership of weakening the standing of Vande Mataram to "appease certain sections" of...