Partition could have been avoided, if Jinnah was made India's PM: BJP candidate

BJP's Ratlam-Jhabua Lok Sabha candidate Guman Singh Damor accused Jawaharlal Nehru of being obstinate about holding the Prime Minister's position during India's independence.

Jhabua (Madhya Pradesh): BJP's Ratlam-Jhabua Lok Sabha candidate Guman Singh Damor stoked a controversy on Saturday, stating that India's partition could have been avoided if only Jawaharlal Nehru had allowed Mohammad Ali Jinnah to be the Prime Minister.

“If (India's first prime minister) Nehru had not been obstinate about being the PM during India's Independence, this nation would not have been divided into two," said Damor while addressing an election meeting Ranapur town.

"Mohammad Ali Jinnah (the founder of Pakistan) was an advocate and a learned man," he added.

Hitting back at Damor, Congress said that the BJP leader is not well aware of the country's history and asked him to contest polls in Pakistan.

"Damon doesn't know the country's history. Pakistan was created because Jinnah was obstinate. Why doesn't he go and contest polls in Pakistan," said Congress' Jhabua district president Nirmal Mehta.

Damor also blamed Congress for the problems in Jammu and Kashmir.

The BJP leader, a retired engineer from the Public Health Engineering department, was elected as MLA from the Jhabua assembly seat in November 2018.

Damor is pitted against Congress leader and former Union minister Kantilal Bhuria from the Ratlam-Jhabua Lok Sabha seat, which goes to polls on May 19.