Congress leader Rahul Gandhi comment against Vinayak Damodar Savarkar It has caused unrest within the organization. Several elected members spoken to were candid in saying that any adverse comments about Savarkar do not bode well for the party which is on weak ground in Maharashtra.
Officially, the Maharashtra Congress rallied enthusiastically around Rahul Gandhi, participating in protests against his disqualification from Lok Sabha. But none have come forward to support Savarkar’s labeling as “Mafiveer Savarkar”, a term allegedly coined by Rahul.
A senior congressional leader, who requested anonymity, said: “Frankly, when we talk about reformers or revolutionaries, we have to be sensitive to public sentiment. Savarkar’s contribution to the freedom movement cannot be questioned. It is a fact that he turned ten ‘kala pani’ years, which is unimaginable”. He added that he probably sought mercy through a petition to escape mental and physical torture, he said, but that cannot undermine his role.
So it’s no surprise that Congress meets Mumbai, FistNagpur, Akola and Buldhana saw Congress focus its attack on PM Narendra Modi and BJP. The uniform script the state Congress adhered to was to expose how BJP planned to strip Rahul of his Parliament membership by asking uncomfortable questions related to the alleged Modi-Adani nexus.
Officially, MPCC Chairman Nana Patole said, “Savarkar’s two-nation theory is a reality. The fact that his policy led to the Hindu-Muslim split cannot be ignored.” Another senior Nagpur Congress leader said the Congress often finds itself doing a balancing act between secular and soft Hindutva.
After surat judgment pronounced Raul Gandhi guilty, awarding him a two-year prison term, allegedly stated: “My name is not Savarkar. My name is Gandhi, and Gandhi never apologizes.”
BJP seized on the comment not only to bring Gandhi to the rear by disqualifying him as an LS member, but also to question its ally Sena (UBT) about Hindutva and Savarkar, state Congress leaders said.
During Bharat Jodo YatraRahul compiled Savarkar’s plea for clemency, and this helped BJP to effectively counter Congress, they added.