Savarkar row: Maha opposition seeks Rahul's apology

The BJP has taken strong objection to a remark made last week by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who rejected the saffron party's demand for an apology over his "rape in India" barb, and added that his name was Rahul Gandhi, not "Rahul Savarkar". The Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party legislators on Monday continued to demand an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on Vinayak Damodar.

Nagpur: The Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party legislators on Monday continued to demand an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on Vinayak Damodar alias 'Veer' Savarkar, outside the Maharashtra Legislature.

Sporting saffron caps bearing the legend -- 'Mee Pan Savarkar' (I Am Savarkar) -- the BJP members raised slogans demanding that Gandhi should say "sorry" for his controversial remarks on Saturday which sparked off a major furore among the right-wing circles.

Led by state party chief Chandrakant Patil, Leader of Opposition in Assembly Devendra Fadnavis, ex-Speaker Haribhau Bagade, former ministers, and others arrived at the state secretariat building wearing the saffron caps, carrying black banners and posters protesting against Rahul Gandhi's utterances.

"I am not Rahul Savarkar. I am Rahul Gandhi. I will not apologise. Nor will anyone from the Congress," Gandhi said at the Bharat Bachao rally at Ramlila Ground in Delhi.

The BJP also plans to raise the issue in the assembly along with the demand for a complete waiver of farm loans announced by the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi government of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.