Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for proposing the Bharat Ratna for Veer Savarkar. Arguing that Savarkar had two aspects of his life — his role in the fight for independence and his seeking an apology — Digvijaya alleged Savarkar’s involvement in the conspiracy to kill Mahatma Gandhi.
“There are two aspects of his life, his participation in the independence struggle and when he came back after seeking an apology. His name was also registered in the conspiracy behind Mahatma Gandhi’s murder,” Singh was quoted as saying by ANI.
In its manifesto for the upcoming Assembly polls in Maharashtra, the BJP has promised to confer Bharat Ratna on the Hindutva ideologue. Apart from him, the party has also sought to honour social reformers Savitribai Phule and Jyotirao Govindrao Phule. “We will strive to honour Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, Krantijyoti Savitribai Phule and Swatantrata Veer Savarkar with the Bharat Ratna,” the manifesto read.
Addressing a rally in Vidarbha on Wednesday, PM Narendra Modi also spoke about Savarkar. In his speech, the PM observed that Savarkar was deprived of India’s highest civilian honour, the ‘Bharat Ratna’. “Veer Savarkar was deprived of Bharat Ratna. It is due to his values that we put nationalism as the basis for nation-building,” he said.
Slamming the Opposition, he added that those people who denied Bharat Ratna to Babasaheb Ambedkar were the same who “abused” Savarkar “at every opportunity”. Speaking of the party’s strive to honour Bharta Ratna to Savarkar, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis said that the former was a great revolutionary and freedom fighter and that no one should look with narrow political prism at such great people. The nation must unite and bestow the award which Savarkar truly deserves. he added.
The Congress has slammed the BJP’s proposal, saying if the government considers conferring Bharat Ratna on Savarkar on the 150th birth anniversary year of Mahatma Gandhi, then “God save this country”.