New Delhi: Great-grandson of Mahatama Gandhi, Tushar Gandhi on Friday said that there is evidence that Hindutava posterboy VD Savarkar apologised to British regime.
Taking a sarcastic dig, Tushar said, “It is true that Veer Savarkar was friends with the Britishers, he apologised to the Britishers to move out of prison… It is not like we have taken it from WhatsApp university, there is evidence in history.”
On Friday, Tushar joined Congress-led ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ in Maharashtra. He walked alongside Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi “following the path of Bapu is the only way to heal and unite the nation,” stated Congress on Twitter.
A day earlier, Rahul Gandhi reiterated that Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar begged the British regime to free him from jail and he will stay their ‘most obedient servant’.
Said the Congress MP: “Veer Savarkar, in a letter written to the British, said ‘Sir, I beg to remain your most obedient servant’ and signed on it. Savarkar helped the British. He betrayed leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel by signing the letter out of fear.”
This sparked controversy in Maharashtra as the former Chief Minister and Congress’ ally in the state Uddhav Thackeray show dissentment with Rahul Gandhi’s remark.
Thackeray questioned the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) why they have not conferred Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, on the late VD Savarkar.
“We don’t agree with what Rahul Gandhi has said. We respect Veer Savarkar. But, at the same time, when you are questioning us, the BJP should also have to say why they were they in power with PDP (in Jammu and Kashmir),” said Mr Thackeray.
