Rahul Gandhi must apologise or face legal action: Savarkar's grandson
Ranjit Savarkar said, "Rahul Gandhi is saying he won't apologise as he isn't Savarkar. I challenge him to show documents that prove Savarkar apologised".
FollowRanjit Savarkar, the grandson of VD Savarkar, has said that he will file an FIR against Rahul Gandhi if the latter does not apologise for his statement on the late Hindutva ideologue. He also challenged the Congress leader to show documents that prove he had apologised to the British.
Rahul's "My name is not Savarkar, my name is Gandhi, and Gandhi does not offer an apology to anyone" remark has drawn fire from BJP. The former Congress chief made this remark while addressing a press conference after being disqualified from Lok Sabha.
Also Read: 'No guests after 10 pm...': Bengaluru society's bizarre rules for bachelors leave netizens fuming
Calling such comments childish, Savarkar's grandson Ranjit Savarkar on Monday said, "Rahul Gandhi is saying he won't apologise as he isn't Savarkar. I challenge him to show documents that prove Savarkar apologised".
"Using the names of patriots to promote politics is wrong and deplorable. Action must be taken," Savarkar said.
Rahul's remarks also created a rift with the Congress party's ally in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena (UBT)
At a rally on Sunday, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray said he considered Savarkar as his "idol", and had asked Gandhi to refrain from "insulting" him.
"Savarkar is our idol, and his insult will not be tolerated if we have to fight together to protect our democracy. Savarkar suffered unimaginable torture in the Andaman cellular jail for 14 years. We can only read the sufferings. It is a form of sacrifice," he said, adding, "I want to tell Rahul Gandhi that we have come together to save our country's democracy and its Constitution. But you are deliberately being provoked. If we allow this time to get wasted, then democracy will cease to exist. 2024 will be the last election."
"By making defamatory statements against Savarkar, the sympathy gained by Rahul Gandhi will start ebbing. This will, for sure, put the Maharashtra Congress in an uncomfortable position," an editorial in Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece 'Saamana' had said on Monday.
Asked about Saamana's criticism of Rahul, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole avoided a direct reply, merely telling reporters in Nagpur that the Congress's ideology is to take everyone together. "It is the Congress which got freedom for the country and worked on the basis of the Constitution. Hence, coming to power or not being in power is secondary... principles are important for the Congress," he said.
Also Read | H1B employees who have lost their jobs can stay in the US beyond 60 days; Here's how
