Mumbai:
Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s controversial remark drawing an analogy on Veer Savarkar arguing that his name was not Rahul Savarkar and refused to tender an apology over India being “rape capital” of the world, has snowballed into a major controversy in Maharashtra. The controversy has once again seen Congress new found ally of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the Shiv Sena once again siding its estranged ally the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Senior Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday remarked that there cannot be any compromise on showing respect to Maharashtra’s revered deity Veer Savarkar
The Sena leaders remarks come just days after the Congress forced it to do a climb down after it openly supported the BJP in the Lok Sabha in the passage of the controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB), 2019, the Shiv Sena once again on ticked off its MVA ally the Congress stating that there could be no compromise on Maharashtra’s revered deity – Vinayak Damodar Savarkar @ Veer Savarkar.
Reacting to former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, grandson of late Savarkar, Ranjit Savarkar sarcastically remarked “thank God his name is not Rahul Savarkar, or else we might have had to blacken our own faces. Whereas, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader of opposition in legislative assembly, Devendra Fadnavis quipped “just because one has Gandhi as the surname, one does not become “Gandhi” (Mahatma Gandhi)”.
Senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut in a tweet remarked “Veer Savarkar is not just the revered deity of Maharashtra, but that of the entire country. Savarkar’s name spells nationalism and self-respect. Just like Nehru and Gandhi , Savarkar too for the sake of freedom contributed with his life in the burning flame of freedom. Each of these deities must be respected. Here there cannot be any compromises made.” His remarks come days after the Sena had to retract lending its support to the CAB in Rajya Sabha, after having supported it a day earlier in the Lok Sabha.
Condemning the remarks of Rahul Gandhi on Savarkar, Swatantryaveer Savarkar Rashtriya Smarak, working president and grandson of Veer Savarkar, Ranjit Savarkar sarcastically remarked “it is a good thing that his name is not Rahul Savarkar, had his surname been Savarkar, then we would have to blacken our faces. Rahul Gandhi should have thanked on the removal of Nehru surname from his grandmother Indira Gandhi’s name, because her earlier name was Indira Gandhi-Nehru”. He added “it is not that same pre-Independence era nationalist Congress anymore. This is now a slave of a dynasty.”
Leader of opposition in legislative assembly, Devendra Fadnavis while lashing out at the former Congress president, remarked “he (Rahul Gandhi) cannot come anywhere near in comparison with Veer Savarkar. He should not commit the grave mistake of considering himself as a “Gandhi”. Just because one has Gandhi as the surname, one does not become “Gandhi” (Mahatma Gandhi)”. He said that Veer Savarkar made the supreme sacrifice for the nation and to use such a language for him is an insult to all those freedom fighters who made the supreme sacrifice for the nation. Hence, Rahul Gandhi needs to tender apology to the nation, for one more of his remarks”.
