Ahead of PM visit, Jairam reminds of Nehru's role in Austria's emergence

The Congress on Tuesday recalled the key role India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru played in the early fifties in the emergence of a sovereign and neutral Austria, and said those "suffering from Nehruphobia" like Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also do well to recall it.

Ahead of Modi's Austria visit, Congress general secretary, in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh said the Republic of Austria was established fully only on October 26, 1955, which is celebrated as its National Day and one person who was critical to this becoming a reality was none other than the man "Mr. Modi loves to hate and defame".

"Dr. Hans Kochler, a noted Austrian academic, has written about the key role Jawaharlal Nehru played in the early fifties in the emergence of a sovereign and neutral Austria after a decade of occupation by the victorious World War II powers," Ramesh said.

One of Nehru's most ardent global admirers was the legendary Bruno Kreisky, who was Chancellor of Austria during ..