NEW DELHI: In a bid to counter criticism that study of astrology is retrograde, BJP on Wednesday released a letter by Jawaharlal Nehru seeking a horoscope by a competent astrologer for Rajiv Gandhi soon after the birth of his grandson.

In a letter to Krishna Hutheesing dated August 29, 1944, Nehru suggests the need for a “proper horoscope” and adds that “such permanent records of the date and time of birth are desirable”.

Pointing out that he had also written to daughter Indira Gandhi to seek a competent horoscope-maker, Nehru writes, “As for the time, I suppose the proper solar time should be mentioned and not the artificial time which is being used outside now. War time is at least an hour ahead of the normal time.”

HRD minister Smriti Irani had recently come under attack when she was spotted consulting a palmist, while opponents of BJP have accused it of seeking to dilute “scientific temper” that Nehru promoted.

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The letter, released at a press conference addressed by senior ministers Venkaiah Naidu and Ravi Shankar Prasad, also coincided with a trenchant attack on Congress for being party to disruption of Rajya Sabha and Congress MP V Hanumantha Rao’s comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rao was suspended by Rajya Sabha chair Hamid Ansari.

Read this story in Hindi: नेहरू भी तो बनवा रहे थे राजीव की कुंडली: बीजेपी