“Read This By Mahatma Gandhi…”: In Savarkar Row, D Fadnavis Counters Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi/Mumbai:

With a sequence of tweets displaying letters and video clips, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at present countered Congress chief Rahul Gandhi’s remarks about Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar’s mercy petitions to the British when jailed through the freedom wrestle.

Mr Fadnavis stated even Mahatma Gandhi had used the identical signoff as Savarkar did, ‘I encourage to stay, sir, your most obedient servant’, in letters to the British.

“Rahul ji, yesterday you requested me to learn the final traces of a letter [by VD Savarkar],” stated the BJP chief, “Have you ever learn this letter from our revered Mahatma Gandhi? Does it have the identical final line you needed me to learn?”

राहुल जी,
कल आपने मुझे एक पत्र की अंतिम पंक्तियाँ पढ़ने को कहा था,
चलो, अब कुछ दस्तावेज़ आज मैं आपको पढ़ने देता हूँ।
हम सब के आदरणीय महात्मा गांधी जी का यह पत्र आपने पढ़ा ?
क्या वैसी ही अंतिम पंक्तियाँ इस में मौजुद है, जो आप मुझे पढ़वाना चाहते थे?#VeerSavarkar@RahulGandhipic.twitter.com/hwtDtuB1ws

— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) November 18, 2022

Whereas VD Savarkar’s letter was a mercy petition, Mahatma Gandhi — within the 1920 letter, part of which Mr Fadnavis shared — was apparently telling the British about non-cooperation being a sound type of protest.

Mentioning particular phrases, Mr Fadnavis additionally shared “a letter from 1980” through which former PM Indira Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi’s grandmother, referred to as VD Savarkar a “pillar of the liberty motion” and “exceptional son of India”.

अब जरा भारत की पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री श्रीमती इंदिरा गांधी (आपकी दादी) इन्होंने स्वातंत्र्यवीर सावरकर जी के बारे में क्या कहा था, वो भी जरा पढ़ लिजिये…
यहाँ वे वीर सावरकर जी को स्वतंत्रता आंदोलन का आधारस्तंभ और भारत का सदा याँद रहने वाला सुपुत कहती है। #VeerSavarkarpic.twitter.com/DaSUTQD5TL

— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) November 18, 2022

The BJP, which considers VD Savarkar an icon of bravery and prefers to name him “Veer”, has been attacking Rahul Gandhi over his most up-to-date remarks that he made in Maharashtra throughout his ongoing ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’.

Mr Fadnavis additional shared Maharashtra leaders’ laudatory views on VD Savarkar — together with these of Congress leaders — and shared a letter and video of Congress ally Sharad Pawar, too, through which the NCP chief calls VD Savarkar’s life “a saga of supreme sacrifices”.

The row has additionally spotlighted, again, contradictions in the Congress alliance with Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction in Maharashtra. “We have now immense respect for Veer Savarkar. We do not agree with Rahul Gandhi’s views,” Uddhav Thackeray had stated.

On this, Rahul Gandhi has argued that distinction of opinion can exist with companions in a democracy.

The Congress has caught by Rahul Gandhi, who had contrasted tribal chief Birsa Munda’s bravery with VD Savarkar’s mercy pleas earlier this week. Yesterday Mr Gandhi added to his argument by flashing a letter written by VD Savarkar to the British, and stated: “I’m clearly of the view that he helped the British.”

सावरकर जी ने अंग्रेजों की मदद की। उन्होंने अंग्रेजों को चिट्ठी लिखकर कहा – सर, मैं आपका नौकर रहना चाहता हूं।

– श्री @rahulgandhipic.twitter.com/1sKszyDXR0

— Congress (@INCIndia) November 17, 2022

Congress chief Jairam Ramesh at present stated Rahul Gandhi didn’t goal VD Savarkar however “solely highlighted a historic truth”.

“It was a undeniable fact that (Mahatma Gandhi’s murderer) Nathuram Godse was influenced by Savarkar. It was Savarkar’s ideology that was behind the killing of Mahatma Gandhi. The ideology to which Savarkar subscribed was explanation for his killing,” Mr Ramesh additional stated.