In another attempt to gain political clout, Congress MLC & Leader of Opposition for Karnataka’s Legislative Council B K Hariprasad, calls Veer Savarkar the “biggest coward the country has ever seen.” He continued to call Veer Savarkar and MS Golwalkar to be British agents.
The Congress MLC continued to state that “what else should we call Savarkar who wrote mercy petitions and sought British pension.” The Congress MLC’s statements come after Congress MP & Gandhi family scion, Rahul Gandhi’s similar remarks against the Indian freedom fighter, Veer Savarkar, while addressing a press conference in Maharashtra during his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ and mocking his contribution to India’s Independence Movement.
In November 2022, a complaint was filed against Rahul Gandhi for making “derogatory remarks” against Savarkar as he alleged that Savarkar “helped the British” and “betrayed leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel.”
Rahul Gandhi said “Veer Savarkar, in a letter written to the British, said “Sir, I beg to remain your most obedient servant” and signed on it. Savarkar helped the British. He betrayed leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel by signing the letter out of fear,” during his press conference in Maharashtra. He continued, “While he was lodged in Andaman jail, Savarkar wrote a letter to the British pleading with them that he be pardoned and released. He took a pension from the British and worked against Congress.”
However, Congress has a long history of insulting Savarkar and his contributions. In December 2022, Former Congress CM for Karnataka & Leader of Opposition, Siddaramaiah led a protest against the inclusion of Savarkar’s portrait in Karnataka’s assembly. Karnataka Congress questioned the inclusion calling Savarkar a controversial figure and the his portrait’s inclusion in the assembly. The Congress’s remarks over Savarkar come as Karnataka goes for State elections in 2023.
