The Bharatiya Janata Party, which was not invited to an international symposium on Jawaharlal Nehru organised by the Congress on Monday, wondered if the Opposition party’s guest list was influenced by its “current depleting fortunes” as even those who had rejected Nehruvian politics were a part of it.

Criticising the Congress, BJP leader and Minister for Information and Broadcasting Arun Jaitley said those who had rejected Nehru’s politics in his lifetime were a part of the “show of strength” at the party’s symposium.

He was referring to the presence of leaders of Left parties, the Janata Dal (United), the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal.

Taking a swipe at them, he said the symposium was attended by “some who rejected Nehruvian politics during his lifetime and others whom Panditji may have ideologically disinherited.”

“Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia stood for complete negation of Nehruvian politics.” According to him, the Left’s anger against Nehru was “fuelled by the invocation of Article 356 to dislodge the first-ever democratically elected Communist government in Kerala led by E.M.S. Namboodripad.”

Meanwhile, CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat, who had attended the conference, scotched speculation about the emergence of an anti-BJP grouping of secular parties, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress and the Left.

“Nothing of the sort should be read into in the sharing of platform with these parties at the conference,” he told PTI.