“Late Vijaya Raje Scindia proved that 'jan seva' or public service was important than 'raj satta' or power,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday, 12 October, after releasing a commemorative coin in honour of the Jana Sangh and BJP leader.
Vijaya Raje Scindia, popularly known as Rajmata, was one of the co-founders of the BJP and a prominent anti-Congress voice who was jailed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during the Emergency.
Modi released the coin in the denomination of Rs 100 virtually to commemorate her birth centenary. The coin was minted by the Finance Ministry as part of the celebration.
Modi recalled that there were many occasions when the erstwhile Royal of Gwalior was offered posts, but she turned them down with humility.
"Once Atal (Bihari Vajpayee) ji and (Lal Krishna) Advani ji urged her to become the Jana Sangh President, but she preferred to serve as an ordinary activist," the prime minister said.
Modi also mentioned Vijaya Raje’s role in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and said that it was a ‘coincidence’ that her dream of building a new temple in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh was getting fulfilled in her birth centenary year.
Recalling her anti-establishment fight, Modi said: "The Rajmata wrote a letter to her daughters from the Tihar jail during the Emergency. There was a lot of learning in what she wrote. She wrote: 'With the aim of inspiring our future generations to live with defiance, we should bear the disaster of today with patience'."
“At the time of BJP’s Ekta Yatra, Vijaya Raje Scindia ji introduced me as Narendra Modi, the youth leader of Gujarat. After so many years, Narendra is standing before you as ‘Pradhan Sevak’ of the country,” an emotional Modi remarked.
Vijaya Raje Scindia was the consort of the last Maharaja of Gwalior, Jivajirao Scindia. She was born on 12 October 1919 in Sagar and died on 25 January 2001 in New Delhi.
Family members of the late leader along with other dignitaries joined in the ceremony from different locations across the country through the virtual platform.
Vijaya Raje was the mother of late Congress leader Madhavrao Scindia and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Jyotiraditya Scindia is her grandson.
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