NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national general secretary Vinod Tawde on Sunday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on Veer Savarkar, saying the former Wayanad MP has no knowledge of the history of India’s freedom struggle.
Tawde said that Rahul Gandhi, who hates Savarkar, should first study the views of Congress leaders like Indira Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, Pranab Mukherjee on Savarkar.
Tawde said, “Unfortunately Rahul Gandhi and many Congress leaders today are engaged in a campaign to distort the thoughts of freedom fighter Savarkar for petty politics. At such a time, the country needs to take a fresh look at the multifaceted personality of Savarkar.”
He said that former prime minister Indira Gandhi issued the first postage stamp on freedom fighter Savarkar while Manmohan Singh himself acknowledged the great contribution of Savarkar in the freedom struggle.
“But Sonia Gandhi, who has become the self-styled leader of the Congress, and her son Rahul Gandhi should know this aspect of history as well. Savarkar, the hero of the freedom struggle, was not only an ardent patriot, but he was also an armed revolutionary and a classic litterateur,” Tawde said.
The BJP leader said Savarkar showed his talent in different dimensions of literature like poetry, drama, literature and contemplative writing.
Tawde further said that the glimpse of Savarkar’s social consciousness and intense nationalism is also found in his classical compositions like Gomantak, Saptarshi, Ranphule, Kamala, Agnija, Agninritya, Kusumsanchaya.
Rahul Gandhi, who was disqualified as an MP after being convicted in the criminal defamation case over the ‘Modi surname’ remark, on March 25 said, “My name is not Savarkar, my name is Gandhi. Gandhis do not apologise to anyone”. (ANI)