Mumbai: The row over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks on Vinayak Savarkar continues to deepen with the latter's grandson Satyaki Savarkar on Saturday threatening legal action against Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi during his speech in Maharashtra on Thursday accused Savarkar of writing a letter to the British in which he apologised to them.
Gandhi said that Savarkar took a pension from the British and helped the British against the Congress. He also produced a purported letter by Savarkar addressing the British in a servile tone to support his claims. But Savarkar's grandson Satyaki while reacting to Gandhi's remarks said the letter he was talking about was written by his grandfather was written by him “for the rights of the prisoners at the time”.
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“Savarkar is a hero, he is a patriot, but some people have started doing politics in his name. Mahatma Gandhi had also written a similar letter to the British. Will he call him a traitor?” he said. Satyaki said that the “whole Maharashtra is behind Savarkar and now don't try to tell lies to people”. “The statue of freedom hero Savarkar in Pune has been bathed with rose water by the Hindu Federation and flowers have been showered on the statue,” Satyaki said.
Meanwhile, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis while addressing a BJP rally in Surat city in poll-bound Gujarat attacked Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on Savarkar. Fadnavis termed Gandhi's statement on Veer Savarkar “full of stupidity”. He also took a jibe at Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra. “Koi Bharat Jodo Nahi Hai (It is not a yatra unifying India).
Bharat Jodo was done by Sardar Patel. Congress never honoured Sardar Patel, nor did it honour Subhash Chandra Bose,” said Fadnavis. Gandhi has found himself in the midst of a storm over his remarks on Savarkar with its alliance partner n Maharashtra the Shiv Sena threatening to withdraw from the MVA. A defamation case was also filed against Rahul Gandhi in the state over his “derogatory” remarks on Savarkar.
