Savarkar controversy: Opposition in damage control mode

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut spoke to Rahul Gandhi in Delhi, while Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, architect of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition in Maharashtra, told the Congress not to unnecessarily rake up the Savarkar issue since it was tricky for the MVA, and contentious issues needed to be kept aside in the interest of opposition unity

Amid the raging political controversy of Rahul Gandhi’s repeated “insults” to Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar, opposition leaders on Tuesday got together in an attempt to douse the flames.

Mumbai, India - November 26, 2019: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and NCP chief Sharad Pawar during meeting of Shiv Sena , NCP and Congress alliance at Trident hotel, BKC in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, November 26, 2019. (HT PHOTO)

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut spoke to Rahul Gandhi in Delhi, while Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, architect of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition in Maharashtra, told the Congress not to unnecessarily rake up the Savarkar issue since it was tricky for the MVA, and contentious issues needed to be kept aside in the interest of opposition unity.

The Savarkar controversy has become a sore spot in relations between the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT). On Sunday, Uddhav Thackeray, in his Malegaon rally, had warned Rahul Gandhi not to insult the freedom fighter. The Sena (UBT) also skipped the meeting of opposition leaders hosted by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi on Monday.

Attempts to defuse the tension among the political allies has now begun in earnest. Raut, who spoke to Gandhi on Tuesday, said he had had a fruitful discussion on the Savarkar issue. “We are also speaking with other Congress leaders about this,” he said. “It’s not possible to share the details but everyone will know the result of the talks soon.”

The statement is seen as an indication that the Congress, especially Gandhi, has agreed to keep the focus on fighting the BJP, in keeping with what Thackeray had publicly advised Gandhi in his Sunday rally: that the allies needed to refrain from remarks that would antagonise one another, and concentrate on the main goal. Following the meeting, Raut also slammed the BJP, saying its forthcoming ‘Savarkar Gaurav Yatra’ was actually an Adani Gaurav Yatra.

Raut spoke to Gandhi a day after Sharad Pawar reportedly told the Congress that the Savarkar issue should not be raked up unnecessarily. According to MVA insiders, both Pawar and Raut pointed out to the Congress that the Savarkar issue could be tricky for the MVA coalition, as Savarkar is a household name in Maharashtra and Thackeray’s party has always been a pro-Savarkar party.

Pawar raised the issue in the opposition parties’ dinner-cum-meeting held at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence in New Delhi on Monday.

“The MVA is getting good support in Maharashtra but the Savarkar issue is creating unnecessarily tension among the allies,” Pawar is said to have told the meeting that was attended by former Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. The NCP supremo then tried to point out that Savarkar and the RSS were never on good terms, and that Savarkar was a “pro-science” person.

Gandhi, however, responded by saying that the two parties had strong ideological differences on the issue, and he did not want to change the Congress stand. According to MVA insiders, he was supported by the Left parties on this. “However, it was later agreed by all that the differences would be set aside in the interest of opposition unity,” said a senior leader.

A senior leader also objected to Congress leaders in Delhi welcoming the arrest of AAP leader Manish Sisodia. After he pointed out that the central agencies were being misused against all the Opposition parties and not selected ones, Congress leaders admitted their mistake and said that they would take care it was not repeated.

The Savarkar issue snowballed in Maharashtra after Rahul Gandhi said that his surname was not Savarkar and hence he would not apologise in the recent criminal defamation case against him. The ruling Shiv Sena-BJP alliance was quick to latch on to the issue to corner Thackeray and the MVA coalition. Chief minister Eknath Shinde questioned Thackeray’s seriousness in his criticism of Gandhi and dared him to walk out of the MVA.

A Thackeray faction leader said that their party was not comfortable with Gandhi repeatedly criticising Savarkar, as for them the latter was an idol. “Also, such statements could shift the political narrative, and the BJP will use it to divert the attention of people away from its autocratic behaviour and the non-performance of the central government,” he said. “It can use it to mobilise people on Hindutva, so it is important to keep such controversial issues under wraps.”

Congress leader Ashok Chavan, admitting that they had a difference of opinion on a number of issues, including that of Savarkar, said that the Congress leadership was never in favour of forming the government with the Shiv Sena. “We did it to keep the BJP away from power,” he said. “We knew that such issues would come up in future.”