‘SC has done right thing’: Savarkar’s grand nephew on apex court pulling up Rahul Gandhi

MUMBAI: VD Savarkar’s grand nephew, Ranjit Savarkar, on Saturday lauded the Supreme Court for pulling up Rahul Gandhi on his remarks on the freedom fighter.

Ranjit Savarkar questioned Rahul Gandhi how someone could be an accomplice of the British if he were kept in jail for 27 years by them.

Ranjit Savarkar further agreed with SC’s remark that Mahatma Gandhi also used the term “your faithful servant” in his letters to the Viceroy.

“Any intelligent person can understand that someone who was kept in jail for 27 years (Veer Savarkar) by the British, how can he be an accomplice or a servant of the British?… The Supreme Court rightly told Rahul Gandhi that, by the same standard, he should also oppose Mahatma Gandhi, as he used to sign his letters as ‘most obedient servant’. Supreme Court has done the right thing to tell him (Rahul Gandhi) not to do such a thing,” Ranjit Savarkar said.

Ranjit Savarkar further accused Rahul Gandhi of “deliberately opposing” VD Savarkar to “create polarisation before elections.

“Since Veer Savarkar stands for ‘Hindutva’, Rahul Gandhi deliberately opposes him to create polarisation before elections so he can secure Muslim votes… If Rahul Gandhi doesn’t apologise for his comments, my brother and I have taken a vow that we will get him sent to jail,” he said.

The Supreme Court on Friday warned the Congress MP not to make controversial remarks against freedom fighters in the future; otherwise, he would have to face consequences.

“Does Rahul Gandhi know that his grandmother, the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, had written a letter praising Vinayak Damodar Savarkar?” the apex court had said, while warning the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Manmohan expressed disapproval of the remarks of Gandhi against Savarkar.

Justice Datta also asked senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Gandhi, if Mahatma Gandhi could be called the servant of the Britishers merely because he used the term “your faithful servant” in his letters to the Viceroy.

“Does your client know Mahatma Gandhi also used your faithful servant while addressing the Viceroy? Does your client know that his grandmother, when she was the Prime Minister, also sent a letter to somebody praising the gentleman (Savarkar),” Justice Datta told Singhvi.

“You cannot make such statements without knowing the history and geography of freedom fighters,” the bench further said.

Let him not make irresponsible statements about the freedom fighters. Is this the way you treat freedom fighters?” Justice Datta asked and said that Savarkar is worshipped in Maharashtra.

Justice Datta further said, “Let’s be clear, any further statement and we will take suo moto and no question of sanction. We will not allow you to speak about the freedom fighters. They have given us freedom.”

The bench then stayed the criminal defamation proceedings pending against Gandhi in a Lucknow court over his comments against Savarkar.
The bench, however, said that it was inclined to stay the proceedings, but on the condition that he would not make any such statements in future. (ANI)