Won’t tolerate any insult to Veer Savarkar: Uddhav warns Rahul

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray, while addressing a public rally at Malegaon on Sunday, expressed displeasure at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s statements on V D Savarkar, and warned that his party would not tolerate any insult to the Hindutva ideologue

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray, while addressing a public rally at Malegaon on Sunday, expressed displeasure at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s statements on V D Savarkar, and warned that his party would not tolerate any insult to the Hindutva ideologue. Thackeray, whose party is an ally of the Congress in Maharashtra, said that while they were united in the fight to save democracy, insults to the freedom-fighter were not acceptable.

Atul Londhe, chief spokesperson of Maharashtra, told HT that the Congress’ stand on Savarkar was very clear. “That he apologised to get out of prison is a fact,” he said. “After returning, he fuelled Hindu-Muslim hatred, which led to the partition of India. Thackeray and the Congress have come together on a common minimum programme, which is to save democracy while putting political ideology aside. Saving democracy is vital, and parties’ stands on political idols should not be linked with this.” (HT PHOTO)

Thackeray, while declaring that Rahul Gandhi “spoke well yesterday” and left the BJP speechless, also cautioned Gandhi that the internal conflict would lead to dictatorship in the country after 2024. He expressed the need for Opposition unity to fight against the BJP, which was “trying to bring dictatorship into India”, and requested that parties refrain from speaking ill of one another’s idols. Amid the talks of a countrywide united Opposition against the BJP, the Thackeray warning could be a flashpoint between the two alliance partners.

Atul Londhe, chief spokesperson of Maharashtra, told HT that the Congress’ stand on Savarkar was very clear. “That he apologised to get out of prison is a fact,” he said. “After returning, he fuelled Hindu-Muslim hatred, which led to the partition of India. Thackeray and the Congress have come together on a common minimum programme, which is to save democracy while putting political ideology aside. Saving democracy is vital, and parties’ stands on political idols should not be linked with this.”

In the rally, Thackeray also called out to Savarkar devotees in the BJP to support them in the fight to save the freedom of the nation for which Savarkar fought. Calling the BJP the Bhrashta (Corrupt) Janata Party, he attacked the leadership for inducting leaders from the Opposition into their party after pressurising them by levelling charges.

The Sena (UBT) head also said that no one could break the association between the Thackerays and the Shiv Sena, and the party symbol would not remain with Shinde for long. Calling the CM and the 40 rebel MLAs descendants of Khandoji Khopde (a traitor during Chhatrapati Shivaji’s reign), he also dared the ruling Shinde-Fadnavis alliance to declare elections if they had the guts. “You ask for votes in the name of Modi, I will ask for votes in the name of Balasaheb Thackeray,” he said.

Thackeray criticised the ruling Shinde-Fadnavis government for keeping mum on issues that went against the state’s interest. “The textile commissionerate has shifted from Mumbai to Delhi,” he said. “Earlier, the central government took away investments slated for Maharashtra to Gujarat. Delhi BJP leaders want to reduce the importance of Mumbai. But the Shinde-Fadnavis government is silent on it.”

Thackeray said that BJP leaders made allegations against opposition leaders’ family members, but if anyone criticised their leaders and Narendra Modi, they claimed it was an insult to the country. “But let me tell you, your leader is not India,” he said. “Modi is not India.”