New Delhi : For decades and even now some people consider V D Savarkar as the mastermind behind the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, but the truth was that he had no role in this, nor did he support those who committed this, said Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal. The Minister said that it was only because of Dr Ambedkar's help, the truth had come to light that Savarkar did not kill Gandhi.
Delivering a speech on the subject titled 'Veer Savarkar Jayanti' under the banner of 'Amrit Kal Mahotsav' at Delhi Public Library on Friday, New Delhi, the Law Minister in his speech took an indirect dig at the Congress party for intentionally defaming Savarkar for their political gains.
"The atmosphere was extremely tense and chaotic during those times. Veer Savarkar sacrificed his whole life for the people of this country. A look at his prison cell where he was incarcerated for a decade by the British would tell us all about Savarkar's sacrifice, courage, and boldness. But despite this, he had to face a lot of criticism even after his death. People called him a coward for pleading for his life during the British Raj", the Law Minister said.
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Meghwal further said that "It was only due to Babasahib's (Dr BR Ambedkar's) help that the truth came out in front of everyone. Savarkar's name was added to the FIR for his alleged role in Gandhi's murder. But Dr Ambedkar one day called his (Savarkar's) lawyer for a meeting. During that meeting, Ambedkar presented a few notes to his lawyer and urged him to fight the case using these notes and he did that. And, as a result of that, one year after Gandhi's assassination, the court announced that Savarkar had no role in his murder. But nobody talks about this."
The Minister further dismissed all the claims that Savarkar helped Nathuram Godse find a gun to kill Mahatma Gandhi and called it propaganda to defame Savarkar. "It is said that Savarkar apologized to the British while he was in jail and pleaded to set him free. The truth is that the format of the application was like that and people spread lies that Savarkar bowed down to the British. What about Motilal Nehru's letter to the British requesting them to free Jawaharlal Nehru?" he asked.
"After our country became independent, all those who were serving their prison terms (in Aandaman's jail) were both surprised and anxious. They thought about how they would return to their homes after serving terms here for decades as they thought that their properties must have been taken away. But it was Savarkar who helped them. As people there came from different states and spoke different languages, there was a communication problem. So, Savarkar taught Hindi to all those inmates. He urged these inmates to marry within the cell and this gave existence to a new society there", said the Minister.
