Sambit Patra slams Rahul Gandhi for 'insulting' Veer Savarkar, demands his apology

New Delhi: BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra on Thursday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for "insulting" Veer Savarkar during Bharat Jodo Yatra and demanded his apology.

"This is very shameful that Rahul Gandhi did a press conference in Maharashtra and insulted the son of the State and freedom fighter Veer Savarkar. The kind of language Rahul Gandhi used for Veer Savarkar in his Bharat Jodo Yatra is a very indecent and pathetic act. As far as Veer Savarkar is concerned, he is a freedom fighter and is very close to all of us," Patra told ANI. Pointing out the letter of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the BJP leader said that Indira Gandhi glorified and praised Veer Savarkar for his bravery.

Responding to Rahul's statement, Patra told ANI, "Rahul Gandhi has insulted Veer Savarkar. He is the pride of the country. The words that he used for Savarkar are extremely shameful and deplorable."

"The way Indira Gandhi glorified and praised Veer Savarkar in her letter, that too is present in India's archives today. Who is the big leader of the Gandhi family? Who was speaking the truth Indira Gandhi was speaking or Rahul Gandhi? Indira Gandhi said Veer Savarkar was the son of India and a very brave warrior who fought against the British," he said.
He also called a great freedom fighter who is close to people's hearts.

Hitting out at the Gandhi family, Patra said they have always insulted great personalities.

"As far as this Gandhi family is concerned, this Gandhi family thinks that only their family members are freedom fighters, they only went to jail and there is no meaning of India outside his family. Be it Subhas Chandra Bose or Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, his family has always insulted great personalities. And the result is that their leaders are leaving Congress," he said.

BJP alleged that Rahul Gandhi is indulging in breaking the country rather than bringing unity in the country.
"Rahul Gandhi has given the name of his yatra Bharat Jodo but he is doing the work of burning and breaking India. His mentality is to break nor to unite. The way they are using foul language against Veer Savarkar every Indian and the people of Maharashtra are hurt. He should apologise to them," the BJP leader added.

Earlier in the day, Ranjit Savarkar, the grandson of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, said he will file a complaint at Shivaji Park Police Station in Mumbai against the Congress leader.

"It is not the first time Rahul Gandhi and Congress have insulted Savarkar, in the past, they have insulted Savarkar, so I have decided to file a complaint against Rahul Gandhi at Shivaji Park police station," Savarkar told ANI.

"I will file a complaint for insulting our leader freedom fighter, Rahul Gandhi is a serial offender in the past in 2017 also he did the same thing," Ranjit Sarvarkar also added, "Congress is trying to play vote bank politics and uses the same agenda of insulting Veer Savarkar," he added.

Earlier in the day, the Congress leader raked up Veer Savarkar again and alleged that he betrayed leaders like M.K Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel by signing a letter of apology to the British before independence.
Addressing the media in Maharashtra's Akola during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi said, "Veer Savarkar, in a letter written to the British, said "Sir, I beg to remain your most obedient servant" and signed on it. Savarkar helped the British. He betrayed leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel by signing the letter out of fear."

On Tuesday too while attending a Tribal Convention during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Hingoli on the occasion of Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, Rahul Gandhi said that Hindutva ideologue, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar used to take a pension from Britisher and worked against Congress.

"In Andaman jail, Savarkar wrote a letter and told the British to forgive him and release him from jail. Veer Savarkar took a pension from the British, he worked against Congress. After coming out of jail he accepted the British proposal and joined their force. The difference between Savarkar and Birsa Munda is, he fought against the British when he was 24 years old," he said. (ANI)