Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has boldly said that Maharashtra will never tolerate insulting Veer Savarkar. Eknath Shinde said this while speaking at the Hindutva seminar at Savarkar memorial.
Eknath Shinde said this in response to Rahul Gandhi’s continuous criticism that Savarkar wrote an apology letter to the British rulers while he was imprisoned in the Andaman jail and later worked with the British against the Congress.
Rahul Gandhi has undertaken India Unity Yatra (Bharat Joda Yatra) from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. This Yatra is currently taking place in Maharashtra. Speaking at an event last Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi said, “In the Andaman Jail, Savarkar wrote a letter. It was an apology letter written by him to the British rulers. In that letter, he pleaded for his release. Later, Veer Savarkar got a pension from the British rulers. After coming out of prison, he joined the British forces.
There is a difference between Veer Savarkar and Birsa Munda. Nam Birsa Munda was the one who fought against the British rulers at the age of 24. Today BJP and RSS oppose his policies. BJP has a plan behind calling tribal people Vanavasi instead of Adivasi. Due to this name change, a lot of benefits for the tribals have been lost,” he said.
In this case, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has said that Maharashtra will not tolerate under any circumstances insulting Veer Savarkar.
Uddhav Thackeray also condemned: Speaking further, Shinde said, “Uddav Thackeray finds it amusing that Veer Savarkar, the symbol of Maharashtra, is constantly insulted. He maintains a soft approach towards the Congress party. Veer Savarkar is despised as a ‘mafiveer’. Uddhav Thackeray finds it amusing for the alliance that Savarkar is insulted as a mafiveer who wrote an apology letter.”
Speaking at the same event, Shiv Sena MP. Rahul Shivale said, “Indian Unity Yatra should not be allowed in Maharashtra. Congress party also has no respect for Honorable Savarkar of Maharashtra. So they should ban the Yatra.”
Rahul Gandhi started his India Unity Yatra in Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari district on September 7. The pilgrimage has traveled through Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and is currently underway in Maharashtra. In this case, the ruling party is giving voice of opposition to the extent that it is not possible to conduct the yatra here.