Savarkar helped British, sought mercy from them out of fear, claims Rahul; remarks anger BJP, Sena factions, trigger protests

Unfazed by the controversy over his recent statement against V D Savarkar, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday targeted the late Hindutva ideologue again, claiming that he helped the British rulers and wrote a mercy petition to them out of fear, the remarks that drew criticism and triggered protests. Gandhi's fresh attack on Savarkar, made during a press conference here as part of his ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra, comes just two days after he called the freedom fighter a symbol of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Gandhi was already under fire of the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led faction of the Shiv Sena for those remarks.

Savarkar's grandson on Thursday lodged a police complaint against Gandhi in Mumbai for ''insulting'' his grandfather.

Former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, whose Shiv Sena faction is an ally of the Congress, said on Thursday that he does not approve of Gandhi's remarks on Savarkar (made on Tuesday) and maintained that his party has immense respect for the freedom fighter. Thackeray made the statement at a press conference in Mumbai some time before Gandhi interacted with media persons in Akola district, where he criticised Savarkar again. Addressing a press conference at Wadegaon in Akola district, Gandhi showed documents dating back to 1920 to media persons, claiming that they contained a letter written by Savarkar to the British.

''I will read the last line, which says 'I beg to remain your most obedient servant' and is signed V D Savarkar, which shows he helped the British,'' Gandhi said at the media interaction during his Bharat Jodo Yatra that is in the last leg in Maharashtra.

He said he was of the view that Savarkar signed the letter out of fear and in doing so, he betrayed Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru and other leaders of the freedom struggle.

Gandhi, Nehru, Patel were in jail for years, but none of them signed any such letter, he said.

''A copy of this (Savarkar's) letter should be sent to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat. If (BJP leader) Devendra Fadnavis wants to see it, he can also see,'' Gandhi added.

On Tuesday, while addressing a rally in Washim district as part of the yatra, Gandhi had called Savarkar a symbol of the BJP and the RSS. ''He was jailed in Andaman for two-three years. He started writing mercy petitions,'' the Congress MP had said.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had on Wednesday claimed that Gandhi has been ''shamelessly lying'' about Savarkar. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had also targeted the Congress leader over his comments on Savarkar and said the people of the state will not tolerate any insult directed at him.

Referring to Gandhi's remarks made on Tuesday, Uddhav Thackeray said, ''We do not approve of Rahul Gandhi's remarks on Savarkar. We have immense respect and faith for Swatyantra Veer Savarkar and it cannot be erased.'' His son and former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray had participated in the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra last week.

Lok Sabha member Rahul Shewale, who belongs to the Shinde faction, had on Wednesday slammed Gandhi for his remarks and demanded that the Bharat Jodo Yatra be stopped in the state.

During the media interaction on Thursday, Gandhi dared the state government, saying, ''If it wants to stop the yatra, try and stop.'' Gandhi's statements sparked protests in parts of Maharashtra on Thursday. Hundreds of workers of the Shinde-led Sena faction held a 'jode maro' protest in Thane city, in which they hit Gandhi's posters with footwear. The agitation was held near Anand Math, where they shouted slogans against the Congress leader. In Nagpur, several Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) workers set on fire an effigy of Gandhi at Tilak Putala in Mahal area and also raised slogans against him.

Similarly in Nashik, many BJYM activists staged a 'jode maro' agitation against Gandhi in Ravivar Karanja area. Shouting slogans, they also tried to burn his poster. Meanwhile, BJP leader Ashish Shelar cited former prime minister Indira Gandhi's praise for Savarkar while slamming Rahul Gandhi's comments about the Hindutva ideologue.

Speaking to reporters here, Shelar said, ''Rahul Gandhi has made a brainless comment about Veer Savarkar and we condemn it. We wonder why Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray has taken such a soft stand on the issue and destroyed his own credibility.'' ''I can show you a letter by then prime minister Indira Gandhi, who described Savarkar as a remarkable son of India while asking her secretary to plan celebration of Savarkar's birth centenary,'' Shelar said.

Meanwhile, Savarkar's grandson lodged a complaint against Gandhi for allegedly insulting the freedom fighter, police said.

Ranjit Savarkar, the late freedom fighter's grandson, in a complaint lodged at Shivaji Park police station here also demanded that Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole, too, should be booked for ''making similar statements''.

No First Information Report has been registered yet, said a police official, adding that a probe was on. The Bharat Jodo Yatra, a mass contact initiative of the Congress has been passing through Maharashtra since its arrival in the state on November 7. Besides Nanded, the foot march has so far covered Hingoli and Washim districts and will cover Akola and Buldhana districts before proceeding to Madhya Pradesh on November 20.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)