New Delhi: The so-called Opposition unity is marred by inherent contradictions. In Kerala, the CPI-M has already sounded defensive and vague in terms of framing its reactions to the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from Lok Sabha.
CPI(M) State secretary M V Govindan said, “We did not announce support for Rahul Gandhi. We strongly opposed the action taken against him”.
In Maharashtra, predictably, Rahul Gandhi’s yet again unjustified and crude remark – “I am not Savarkar”, has evoked strong reactions from Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray. We will not tolerate the insult of Savarkar,” Uddhav Thackeray said.
“Savarkar suffered unimaginable torture in the Andaman cellular jail for 14 years. We can only read the sufferings. Veer Savarkar is our God, and any disrespect towards him will not be tolerated,” he said.
“We are prepared to fight, but insulting our Gods is not something we will tolerate,” the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief said at a rally at Malegaon.
He also said, “Rahul Gandhi is being provoked deliberately but if we waste time in this, democracy will cease to exist”. Uddhav Thackeray’s remarks came in reference to Rahul Gandhi’s recent statement at a press conference in Delhi where he said that he is not Savarkar.
After Uddhav Thackeray warned Rahul Gandhi against insulting Veer Savarkar, Shiv Sena MP (Uddhav faction) Sanjay Raut said he will meet Rahul and try to convince him to avoid mentioning Savarkar in his speeches and press conferences as it was a matter of faith for the Uddhav-led Sena.
“Veer Savarkar is our deity. Savarkar is related to our faith. We cannot tolerate insults to him,” said Sanjay Raut.
“I will hold discussions with Rahul Gandhi on the issue of Veer Savarkar. I will explain to him the sacrifices made by Savarkar… he spent 14 years in Andaman and Nicobar jail. He was given the worst punishment of ‘kaala pani’,” he said.
Sanjay Raut further added, “We object to the use of words like ‘mafiveer’ for Savarkar. By belittling the sacrifice of Savarkar in this manner, Rahul Gandhi is doing harm to himself and his image. Rahul Gandhi undertook Bharat Jodo Yatra and drew wide praise from across the country. And by insulting Savarkar, he is creating hatred among those who respect the Hindutva ideologue for what he did for the country.”
“My name is not Savarkar, my name is Gandhi and Gandhi does not offer an apology to anyone,” Rahul Gandhi had said following his disqualification as an MP after conviction in a defamation case by a Surat court. This is not the first time Rahul Gandhi or Congress leaders have flayed Veer Savarkar or a nationalist organisation such as the RSS.
BJP leader and Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur, on March 26, launched a scathing attack on former Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for the latter’s remarks on Savarkar.
Anurag Thakur, in a series of tweets, reminded Rahul Gandhi that he could never become “Veer Savarkar even in his wildest dreams” because Veer Savarkar’s name stands for grit, determination, staunch patriotism for Bharat, selflessness and commitment to the motherland.
Savarkar neither spent six months in a year holidaying abroad nor did he seek intervention from foreign powers, the Minister said, making a veiled attack on the former Congress president.
When Savarkar went to Britain, he waged a war against the British in order to free mother India from slavery, Anurag Thakur said. He said such was the respect for Veer Savarkar’s patriotism that none other than Shaheed Bhagat Singh had gone to Ratnagiri himself and arranged a Punjabi version of the immortal book ‘India’s First War of Independence’ by Savarkar to have it printed in Punjab. He said that Savarkar did not earn such immortal respect from his countrymen for nothing.
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