As Congress MP Rahul Gandhi continues to target Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarakar, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar has spoken to the Congress leadership and conveyed Shiv Sena’s concerns on the issue. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut is also learnt to have spken to Rahul and Sonia Gandhi on the Savarkar issue.
Sharad Pawar raised the issue while attending a meeting of the Opposition leaders convened by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. The NCP supremo categorically stated that Savarkar is a revered figure in Maharashtra and targeting the freedom fighter would only weaken the opposition alliance in the state.
Notably, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi also attended the meeting.
Sharad Pawar reportedly told Rahul Gandhi that Savarkar was never a member of the RSS, and stressed that Opposition’s real fight is with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP.
Pawar made the comments two days after Rahul Gandhi addressed a press conference and said that he was not Savarkar and would not apologise. The Gandhi scion made the comments in response to BJP’s demand for an apology for “maligning” India on his recent tour to the UK.
“My name in not Savarkar, my name is Gandhi. Gandhis don’t apologise to anyone,” Ganhdi said during press conference..
Earlier, Former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray had criticised Rahul Gandhi for his attack on Veer Savarkar.
Meanwhile, Sanjay Raut called Savarkar a “brave son” and demanded that Centre should give confer Bharat Ratna to the late Hindutva ideologue.
