Disqualified Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has now found himself in another ‘jibe’ row over his comments on freedom fighter Veer Savarkar after already being convicted for two years imprisonment in the ‘all Modi chor’ snub.
While the grandson of late Hindutva ideologue Savarkar has sought action against the former Congress chief for his comments and also challenged Rahul to show documents that prove he had apologised to the British, former Union Minister Sharad Pawar pitched in to tone down the strain developed in the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance of which NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena is part and also ran a Uddhav Thackeray led government.
Terming it unfortunate, former vice president M Venkaiah Naidu said that V D Savarkar's name was being "blackened needlessly" by those who seem to be ignorant of his "matchless sacrifice" during the freedom struggle. Without naming anyone, he said the country's heroes and nationalists deserve utmost respect.
Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule dared Uddhav Thackeray to walk out of MVA if he really cannot tolerate late Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar's "insult" by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Thackeray and Pawar have asked Rahul Gandhi not to target Savarkar, a revered figure in Maharashtra. The Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena had skipped the meeting convened by Kharge as a mark of protest against Gandhi's remarks targeting Savarkar.
Sources from Opposition meeting said Congress has agreed to tone down its criticism of Savarkar. As part of the Opposition leaders meeting Pawar stepped in to play the peacemaker by conveying the Shiv Sena's concerns on the issue to the Congress leadership.
Pawar raised the issue and made it clear that targeting Savarkar, a revered figure in Maharashtra, would not help the opposition alliance in the state.Former Congress Presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were present at the meeting along with leaders of opposition parties.
Pawar also told Rahul Gandhi that Savarkar was never a member of the RSS and underscored that the real fight of the opposition parties was with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP.
As the BJP stepped up attack on Rahul Gandhi and sought his apology for "maligning" India on his recent tour to the UK, the former Lok Sabha member from Wayanad had said that he was not Savarkar and would not apologise.
Rahul’s "My name is not Savarkar, my name is Gandhi and Gandhi does not offer an apology to anyone" remark has drawn fire from BJP.