BJP-NCP spar over Savarkar in Maharashtra assembly

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said that though everybody has great respect for the leader, the BJP should first answer why Savarkar was not conferred with the ‘Bharat Ratna’ award in the last five years of Narendra Modi government’s rule despite two such requests.

The Bharatiya Janata Party aggressively pushed for a motion to honour V D Savarkar, a Hindutva ideologue, in the Maharashtra state assembly on the occasion of his death anniversary on Wednesday, but it was rejected by speaker Nana Patole who held it to be against the rules, leading to an uproar by the BJP in the house.

Devendra Fadnavis raised a demand for passing a resolution honouring Savarkar in Maharashtra assembly. (HT Photo/File)

BJP legislator and former finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar moved the motion and said since nobody in the two houses had any doubt about Savarkar’s contribution and sacrifice for the country, it should be passed unanimously. He also alleged that leaders from a certain party had been using derogatory words for the revolutionary and hence a message needed to be sent to them.

Former chief minister and leader of opposition Devendra Fadnavis demanded a ban on the Congress mouthpiece ‘Shidori’ for publishing alleged derogatory articles on Savarkar. He asked leaders of the Congress party to clarify if they agreed with Savarkar’s portrayal as ‘maafiveer’ or a ‘brave man of apology’ in the articles. He said the motion was necessary to counter the ‘malicious’ campaign.

He also questioned why Fadnavis government didn’t move the motion in the house during its five-year rule.

NCP leader and food and civil supplies minister Chhagan Bhujbal pointed out that the motion moved by the opposition was not as per the legislative rules.

Speaker Nana Patole, too, said the motion was not in the framework of the parliamentary rules while rejecting it, leading to an uproar with MLAs from the opposition benches entering the well of the house raising pro-Savarkar slogans. The MLAs also condemned the government for ‘insulting’ Savarkar.