BJP Flags 1939 Assassination Attempts on Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Accuses Congress of Hiding Truth for 86 Years
New Delhi, October 31 (TheTrendingPeople.com): On the 150th birth anniversary of India’s Iron Man, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has sparked a major political debate by flagging two assassination attempts on Patel in 1939, accusing the Congress party of suppressing the truth for over eight decades.
The claims surfaced after noted historian Rizwan Kadri revealed what he described as “a hidden chapter in Indian history” while unveiling a new documentary panel at the Statue of Unity on Friday. The exhibit, titled “Unveiling Hidden History”, chronicles the two deadly attacks on Patel’s life — incidents that remained largely undocumented for 86 years.
Historian Rizwan Kadri’s Revelation
Historian Rizwan Kadri, who is also working on a full-length documentary on the subject, said the revelations mark a “significant historical disclosure” that challenges the conventional narrative surrounding Patel’s life.
“A new documentary panel lifts the curtain on the two deadly attacks on Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, revealing a conspiracy that remained concealed for 86 years,” Kadri said.
According to Kadri, the attacks were allegedly orchestrated by elements within the princely states and supported by the Muslim League, during a period of political unrest and communal tension in the late 1930s.
“The documentary exposes how indigenous princely states and the Muslim League conspired against Patel, who was emerging as a central figure in India’s unification movement,” he added.
BJP’s Sharp Attack on Congress
Reacting swiftly to Kadri’s revelations, the BJP accused the Congress of deliberately hiding these incidents to protect its political narrative. The party launched a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), alleging that the Congress governments before and after independence chose to “edit out” these facts from Indian history.
“History must record the truth, not Congress’s edited version,” the BJP posted.
The party blamed the Muslim League for masterminding the two attempts — the first in Vadodara (January 1939) and the second in Bhavnagar (May 1939) — and criticized Congress for “burying the facts for political convenience.”
“The real Lauh Purush (Iron Man) stood strong and committed to Bharat’s unity, unfazed by attempts on his life. Congress chose silence, and later, erasure,” the BJP alleged.
The First Attack: Vadodara, January 20, 1939
The first reported attempt on Sardar Patel’s life occurred during a procession in Mandvi, Vadodara on January 20, 1939.
According to details shared in the documentary and BJP’s posts, Muslim League-backed mobs reportedly pelted stones at Patel’s car while chanting “Sardar Go Back!” The mob also set fire to the Prajamandal office, an organization associated with Patel’s grassroots political mobilization efforts.
“It was a state-sponsored attempt to silence Patel’s rising influence,” the BJP alleged. “Congress? Muted.”
No detailed record of this incident appears in official Congress-era documentation, which the BJP claims was a “deliberate omission.”
The Second Attack: Bhavnagar, May 14, 1939
The second and more violent attempt occurred in Bhavnagar on May 14, 1939, when Sardar Patel visited the region to lead the Fifth Praja Parishad Conference as part of the Prajamandal movement.
As Patel’s peaceful procession passed near the Nagina Masjid, a mob affiliated with the Muslim League and allegedly supported by local princely authorities, launched an armed assault on his convoy.
Two of Patel’s supporters, Bachu Virji and Jadavji Modi, were killed while protecting him, and several others were injured. Despite the violence, Patel refused to cancel the event and later addressed the crowd, paying tribute to the fallen and urging restraint.
“Even after such violence, he never abandoned the path of unity,” the BJP wrote.
Political Cover-Up and “Erased History”
The BJP alleged that Congress governments both pre- and post-Independence suppressed the details of these assassination attempts for political and ideological reasons.
According to the BJP’s claims, two men were sentenced to death for their involvement in the Bhavnagar attack, but records of the case were later expunged from public archives and history textbooks.
“This is the real history of 1939 — where the Iron Man stood firm while political opportunists appeased divisive forces. No one dared to mention the Muslim League’s role or Congress’s cowardly silence,” read one of the BJP’s posts.
The party also accused “Congress historians” of distorting or omitting facts that could tarnish the party’s historical image or highlight Patel’s differences with Jawaharlal Nehru.
Historical Context: The Prajamandal Movement
In 1939, India’s freedom struggle was evolving beyond the Congress-led movements in British India. Patel’s focus had shifted to integrating princely states through the Prajamandal movement, which encouraged democratic self-governance and opposed feudal control.
Patel’s rising influence in these princely regions reportedly made him a target for rulers and communal organizations who feared losing power.
This period also witnessed growing religious polarization and political rivalry between the Congress and the Muslim League, which eventually culminated in the partition of India eight years later.
BJP’s Broader Political Message
By bringing these incidents to light on National Unity Day (Ekta Diwas) — celebrated on Patel’s birth anniversary — the BJP appears to be reinforcing its long-standing narrative of reclaiming “forgotten history” and contrasting Patel’s legacy with that of Nehru and the Congress.
Party leaders have frequently portrayed Sardar Patel as the true architect of modern India, emphasizing his role in uniting over 560 princely states after independence.
In its statement, the BJP said Patel’s courage and clarity in times of political turmoil should serve as a lesson in leadership:
“The Iron Man of India faced death twice but never abandoned his mission of national unity. His story reminds us that strength and sacrifice, not appeasement, build nations.”
Final Thoughts from TheTrendingPeople.com
The revelations about the 1939 assassination attempts on Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel have reopened discussions about how India’s pre-independence history has been written, edited, and remembered.
While the claims made in the new documentary and BJP’s statements await independent historical scrutiny, the debate underscores the continuing contest over Patel’s legacy in India’s political landscape.
As the nation commemorates Patel’s 150th birth anniversary, these newly surfaced accounts add a dramatic new dimension to the story of a leader who unified India — not just geographically, but in spirit.