Shiv Sena (UBT) president and former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and Congress leader and former party president Rahul Gandhi soon to meet in person to sort out the Savarkar controversy. State Congress chief Nana Patole gave information about it. Simultaneously, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP and chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut has also announced his plan to meet Rahul Gandhi on the same issue and resolve the matter. The ruling Shiv Sena-BJP alliance has taken a dig at Uddhav Thackeray regarding this.
A day earlier, Thackeray publicly appealed to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to refrain from insulting Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. Rahul Gandhi had said that I will not apologize, because I am not Savarkar, I am Gandhi. Announcing his full support to Rahul Gandhi in the fight against the BJP, Thackeray urged Rahul Gandhi to desist from targeting their idol Veer Savarkar.
Addressing a massive rally in Nashik’s Muslim-majority Malegaon town late on Sunday night, Uddhav Thackeray told the Congress leader, “I am publicly appealing to Rahul Gandhi, you are doing a great job, fighting for the country. But Savarkar is our idol, we will not tolerate his disrespect.”
Supporting this, Sanjay Raut said that Veer Savarkar is a matter of our faith and such statements are intolerable, adding that he would speak to Rahul Gandhi in a day or two in New Delhi and resolve the matter amicably. Earlier, the Shiv Sena (UBT) had taken strong objection to Gandhi’s remarks towards Savarkar during his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ in November.
At the same time, Congress ruled out the possibility of breaking its ties with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Party’s chief spokesperson Atul Londhe and MP Rajni A. Patil said his stand on the Savarkar issue is clear. Similarly, Patole declared that the stand of the Congress on the Savarkar issue was well known to all and resolved that the party would not make any ideological compromises.
