Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has said that Left parties and the Congress should unite in the fight against communalism.

He was addressing a seminar on ‘Re-reading Nehru,’ organised by Costford, here on Saturday.

“The Congress and the Left are political opponents in Kerala, West Bengal, and Tripura. Keeping their political competition intact, they can find common cause, unite, and fight against communal forces,” he said.

He stated that communalism of all hues should be opposed. “Any individual, institution, or ideology that spreads prejudice and hatred should be confronted,” he added. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s alleged anti-Jawaharlal Nehru stand would have far-reaching consequences.

“Mr. Modi has a one-point agenda: to delegitimise Nehru. In the 10 months he has been in office, he has not uttered the word ‘Nehru’ even once. BJP leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L.K. Advani would not have done so. The Nehruvian legacy invokes the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, and Ashoka. When you go against the legacy, you destroy the spirit of India,” he said.