NCP asks Cong to withdraw Savarkar booklet
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has asked its ally, the Congress, to withdraw a controversial pamphlet on Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar, that was published by its wing, Seva Dal, in Madhya Pradesh, after it sparked a political row in Maharashtra.
NCP minister and party spokesperson Nawab Malik said it was wrong to make personal remarks on the leader. “You may have ideological differences with the person concerned. The Congress can criticise Savarkar over his ideology. However, it should refrain from making personal remarks against him, especially as he is not around,” said Malik.
Titled “Veer Savarkar kitney Veer (How brave was Savarkar?)”, the booklet, circulated by the Seva Dal ahead of a national camp on the outskirts of Bhopal, alleged that Savarkar, and Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin, Nathuram Godse, had a physical relationship.
The Congress is a part of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in the state, along with the NCP and the Shiv Sena. The remarks in the booklet has caused embarrassment to the Sena, which revers Savarkar and had in the past demanded a Bharat Ratna for him. On Friday, Savarkar’s grandson, Ranjeet Savarkar, too, demanded the booklet be banned and action be taken against the Seva Dal.
The Maharashtra unit of the Congress has distanced itself from the incident. “We do not support the contents of the booklet despite it being quoted from a book. We also do not believe in such personal attacks,” said Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant.
In December, another controversy over Savarkar had erupted when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi suggested that the leader was a “turncoat”. The Sena had condemned his remark.