Opposition targets Rajnath over Savarkar remark

Opposition leaders hit back at Singh accusing him of trying to “rewrite history” and pointing out that Gandhi was still in South Africa when Savarkar had filed his first mercy petition in 1911

A day after defence minister Rajnath Singh said that Mahatma Gandhi had asked Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideologue VD Savarkar to file a mercy petition, Opposition leaders hit back at Singh accusing him of trying to “rewrite history” and pointing out that Gandhi was still in South Africa when Savarkar had filed his first mercy petition in 1911.

New Delhi, Oct 09 (ANI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addresses during an Investiture Ceremony of Indian Coast Guard (ICG), at National Stadium, in New Delhi on Saturday. (ANI Photo) (Ayush Sharma)

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh tweeted, taking potshots at Singh. “Rajnath Singh-ji is amongst the few sober & dignified voices in Modi Sarkar. But he doesn’t seem to be free of RSS habit of rewriting history. He has given a twist to what Gandhi actually wrote on Jan 25 1920. Here is that letter to Savarkar’s brother,” tweeted the Congress leader, posting a copy of Gandhi’s letter to Savarkar.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary, Sitaram Yechury tweeted a copy of Savarkar’s mercy petition on Wednesday. “Preposterous rewriting of history. Savarkar’s mercy petitions are in 1911 & 1913. Gandhiji enters Indian freedom struggle in 1915. Such distortions cannot mislead. The fact is RSS was never part of the freedom struggle. Often collaborated

While AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi reminded Singh that Savarkar had sought “leniency, mercy and promising to be a faithful servant of the crown” after just six months in prison, CPI chief D. Raja termed the theory as “factory of lies” and RJD leader Manoj Jha quipped that th BJP’s “‘craft of history’ doesn’t follow rules of history.”