‘We’re Savarkar’: BJP replies to Rahul’s jibe

After Gandhi said his name was not Rahul Savarkar, BJP leaders enter Houses wearing ‘Mi pan Savarkar’ caps; Speaker rejects Oppn’s adjournment motion on issue

The controversy over former Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on the late Veer Savarkar dominated the proceedings on the first day of the winter session of Maharashtra legislature in Nagpur on Monday.

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In a jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for demanding an apology for his ‘Rape in India’ remark, Gandhi on Saturday said, “My name is Rahul Gandhi, not Rahul Savarkar. I will never apologise for speaking the truth and nor will any Congressman.”

All BJP MLAs entered the House wearing saffron caps with the message ‘Mi pan Savarkar’ (I am also Savarkar) printed on them. Before entering the House, the legislators raised ‘Mi pan Savarkar’ slogans outside the Assembly. Pandemonium was witnessed in the state Assembly, after Speaker Nana Patole asked for Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis’s references to Savarkar to be omitted from official records. He also rejected an adjournment motion moved by Fadnavis over the issue. This irked the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party members, who trooped to the well shouting slogans against Rahul Gandhi and demanding an apology from him for his remarks against the freedom fighter. Patole then adjourned the Assembly for 10 minutes.

A similar situation was witnessed in the Upper house, where all Opposition members wore saffron caps with the message ‘I am also Savarkar’. The issue came up in the state legislative Council, when the newly elected opposition leader, Pravin Darekar, tried to move an adjournment motion on the issue which was rejected by chairman Ramraje Nimbalkar.

Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray had on Sunday said the Sena’s stand on Savarkar remains unchanged.

Meanwhile, when the House reassembled, Thackeray initiated a resolution to congratulate the Chief Justice of India, Justice Sharad Bobde, who hails from Nagpur. The resolution was seconded by Fadnavis, who recalled his association with Bobde and said the Bobde family, including his father late Arvind Bobde, who served as the Advocate General of Maharashtra twice, had greatly contributed to the legal profession. Fadnavis said freedom fighter Savarkar had stayed at Bobde’s house for some time, which shows their great respect for the freedom fighter.