BJP feigning love for Savarkar, using Hindutva as shield to play politics of nationalism: Shiv Sena mouthpiece

The Shiv Sena on Thursday attacked its erstwhile partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said that the latter’s attempt to “corner” the ruling party on the issue

The Shiv Sena on Thursday attacked its erstwhile partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said that the latter’s attempt to “corner” the ruling party on the issue of freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar – popularly called Veer Savarkar – will not work.

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In a scathing attack in party mouthpiece Saamana on Thursday, the Sena said that the BJP’s “newfound love” for Savarkar was “fake” and that it was “using the Hindutva ideologue as a shield” and is “playing the politics of nationalism”.

The BJP is making several attempts to corner the Sena over the Savarkar issue after it formed the government with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). On Wednesday, the Maharashtra Assembly witnessed uproarious scenes after Speaker Nana Patole rejected the Opposition’s demand to move a resolution honouring Savarkar on his 54th death anniversary in the House.

“The BJP leaders in Maharashtra said that they will corner the government over Veer Savarkar. This shows that Savarkar has become a political issue for the BJP and their comments are not of respect and faith... Those who are feigning love and remembering Savarkar today, have they really understood him?” said the editorial.

It also questioned BJP leader of Opposition in the Assembly Devendra Fadnavis over his demand to honour Savarkar with Bharat Ratna and the two letters written by the former chief minister to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his tenure over the demand. It also questioned the Centre on why Savarkar was not given Bharat Ratna on this Republic Day.

“Instead of cornering the state government, [they should see] if the BJP government at Centre has respected him. Fadnavis, Patil [BJP state chief Chandrakant Patil], Mungantiwar [former BJP finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar], Shelar [former school education minister Ashish Shelar], etc should ask the Centre [about honouring Savarkar with Bharat Ratna],” the editorial said.

The party also took on the ideological fountainhead, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Sena asked what was the organisation’s role in India’s freedom struggle. The Sangh did not even recognise the tricolour as India’s national flag till 2002, the editorial added, lashing out at the RSS.

“Veer Savarkar has immense contribution in India’s freedom struggle. But where was the BJP or the ‘Sangh Parivar’ at the time?” the editorial lashed out.

The party also referred to the ban on the RSS after India’s independence.

“The RSS was banned twice by Sardar [Vallabhbhai] Patel. The ban was lifted on the condition that the tricolour will be accepted by the RSS as the national flag. This condition was accepted by Golwalkar guriji [RSS supremo MS Golwalkar], but it was not fulfilled until 2002. The saffron flag is the Shiv Sena’s identity but with that the Indian flag is also fluttered by the party. This is our nationalism,” the party said.