Prime Minister Modi is no stranger to historical bloopers. On 29 June, history was once again a casualty, with the PM telling a rally at Uttar Pradesh’s Maghar district: “It is said that here, Saint Kabir, Guru Nankadeva and Baba Gorakhnath sat together and discussed spirituality”.
The PM made the comments while paying obeisance to the mystic poet Kabir on his death anniversary.
The three historic figures lived in different eras. While Baba Gorakhnath is believed to have been born between the 11th and 12th century, poet Kabir was born at the end of the 14th century. Guru Nanak, on the other hand, lived between the 15th century and the 16th century.
Reports of Baba Gorakhnath meeting either Sant Kabir or Guru Nanak could hardly be a possibility. However, as this India Today report points out, Kabir and Guru Nanak may have met in Madhya Pradesh’s pilgrim town of Amarkantak.
In Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Modi also launched the BJP’s campaign for the 2019 polls.
“Lust for power has brought even the rivals together and those who opposed Emergency are now hand in glove with Congress,” NDTV quoted him as saying.
High Time PM Stops Inventing History: RJD Leader
Senior RJD leader Shivanand Tiwary schooled PM Modi on getting his facts wrong, PTI reported.
"The prime minister should enlighten us as to how that could be possible. Gorakhnath was born in the 11th century, at lease four centuries before the birth of Sant Kabir. Guru Nanak was younger than Kabir by a few decades... And their meeting is neither a historical fact nor a generally held belief," the senior RJD leader told PTI.
Tiwary said it is “high time” that Modi gave up his “penchant for inventing historical events,” PTI reported.
"Given his stature now, he (Modi) should realise that such goof-ups on his part are an embarrassment to the entire country. If he feels such a strong urge to delve into history during his speeches, he should at least get the facts checked," the RJD leader said.
Historical Gaffes? Not PM Modi’s First
in 2013, as India Today points out, Modi at a rally in Patna talked about the “power of Bihar” and cited emperor Ashok, Pataliputra along with Takshila. However, Takshila was located in present-day Pakistan (then Punjab) and not Bihar.
During poll campaigning in Karnataka, PM Modi on 3 May, claimed that the Congress government under the prime ministership of Jawaharlal Nehru had humiliated two of the military icons hailing from the state — Field Marshal Cariappa and General Thimayya.
In another instance, on 12 May, PM Modi lashed out at the Congress, stating that the party’s leaders did not have the time to meet Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt when they were jailed. Truth be told, Jawaharlal Nehru not only met the jailed Bhagat Singh, but also wrote about it in his autobiography.
(With inputs from PTI and India Today)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)