Devendra Fadnavis, the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, launched an out-of-character strong assault on the Congress on Monday over remarks he made about the late Hindutva philosopher VD Savarkar. In response to comments made by Congress leaders against Savarkar, Fadnavis used an obscenity while speaking at a “Savarkar Gaurav Yatra” event in the city. These leaders withheld from the public the fact that Savarkar wrote to British authorities from prison on behalf of other prisoners rather than himself. Rahul Gandhi often responded to Bharatiya Janata Party calls for an apology by asserting that he was Gandhi and not Savarkar and was pleading for compassion. Rahul Gandhi has frequently accused Savarkar of “apologising” to the British to escape from prison.
“It was Savarkar who began a number of initiatives to bring about social changes when he was released from prison in the Andaman Islands and returned to Ratnagiri. Savarkar had said that until untouchability is abolished, we would never have a strong country. Yet, those who were given a lucky break refer to him as a “mafiveer” (mercy seeker),” Fadnavis added, criticising Congress officials. The senior BJP official also said that the Congress, with the exception of one member from the party, rejected a vote in Parliament that was introduced to congratulate Savarkar on his achievement after Independence. He was the grandfather of Rahul Gandhi, and his name was Feroze Gandhi, Fadnavis informed the audience. Rahul Gandhi was further attacked by Fadnavis, who said that the latter had adopted a “false surname” and that “you are neither Savarkar nor Gandhi.”
Fadnavis questioned Rahul Gandhi’s knowledge of the nation’s history. “The money granted by the Chinese government is used to fund certain people’s parties. In an apparent jab at the Congress, he remarked, “Yet they call Savarkar a mafiveer. “Savarkar underwent tremendous suffering, subpar food, and many forms of British persecution in the prison in the Andamans,” the deputy CM said. He also criticised Uddhav Thackeray, the head of the Shiv Sena (UBT), for siding with the Congress, which often “insults” Savarkar. “I want to know whether Rahul Gandhi has taken down any of his tweets that were offensive to Savarkar from Uddhav Thackeray. Even though Rajiv Gandhi is Rahul Gandhi’s father and a former prime minister, Thackeray placed flowers next to his portrait. But has Sonia or Rahul Gandhi ever made a single such concession to the late Balasaheb Thackeray?” he questioned.
Because the united Sena under Balasaheb Thackeray consistently requested the Bharat Ratna for the deceased Hindutva theorist, the BJP-Shiv Sena has seized on the statements against Savarkar to attack the Congress and also put Uddhav Thackeray on the defensive. These yatras will be conducted by the governing coalition in each of Maharashtra’s 288 Assembly seats. In addition, the Veerbhoomi Parikrama will be held in Nashik, Ratnagiri, Sangli, Pune, and Mumbai from May 21 to 28 to commemorate Savarkar’s birth anniversary. In Nashik’s Bhagur neighbourhood, the state government has announced plans to construct a Savarkar-themed museum.
