Those outside 'family' were erased from public memory: Modi

“It is high time we realise that these are leaders who transcended barriers of caste, community, creed or party lines. Their ideals and legacy are not for any party but for the entire nation to get inspired,” Modi wrote, in an apparent reference to last month's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement that he was proud he belonged to the party to which Sardar Patel belonged.

Modi welcomed Centre's move to launch an online portal containing digital archives of Maulana Azad, but questioned the delay in launching it so far.

“An online portal on Maulana Azad will be launched today by the Centre containing his digital archives. This is a welcome thing but one must also ask why was only lip service paid to his legacy all these decades? Should things like this not have come much earlier?” Modi asked.

Modi hoped for creating an India dreamt by several other stalwarts of the freedom struggle.