Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s statement on Vinayak Damodar Savarkar claiming that the late Hindutva ideologue helped the British rulers and wrote a mercy petition to them out of fear has sparked a controversy in Maharashtra. According to PTI, the police have registered a case against him for “hurting the sentiments” of citizens, while the BJP has hit the streets in protest and demanded an apology.

A first information report (FIR) against Gandhi was registered at Thane Nagar police station on Thursday based on a complaint lodged by Vandana Dongre, a functionary of the Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction. The complainant alleged that the Congress leader “hurt the sentiments of citizens through his derogatory statements against Savarkar”.

The offence was registered under Sections 500 (defamation), and 501 (printing or engraving matter knowing it to be defamatory) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

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Rahul Gandhi, who has undertaken the over 5,000 km Bharat Jodo Yatra and which is currently in its Maharashtra leg, held a press conference at Wadegaon in Akola district on Thursday, showed documents dating back to 1920, claiming that they contained a letter written by Savarkar to the British.

“I will read the last line, which says ‘I beg to remain your most obedient servant’ and is signed V D Savarkar, which shows he helped the British,” Gandhi had said. He claimed that the Hindutva ideologue Savarkar had written a mercy petition to British rulers, thereby betraying Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru and other leaders of the freedom struggle.

Two days earlier, at a rally in Washim district, he called Savarkar a symbol of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). “He was jailed in Andaman for two-three years. He started writing mercy petitions,” the Congress MP from Wayanad had said.

The remarks by Rahul sparked a major row with the BJP and the Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena coming down heavily on the Wayanad MP and held protests demanding an apology. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also claimed that Gandhi has been “shamelessly lying” about Savarkar.

Interestingly, former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, whose Shiv Sena faction is still in alliance with the Congress, also disapproved of Gandhi’s statements against Savarkar.

Thackeray on Thursday said, “We do not approve of Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on Savarkar. We have immense respect and faith for Swatyantra Veer Savarkar and it cannot be erased.”

Also Read: We don’t approve of Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on Savarkar: Uddhav Thackeray

Meanwhile, on Thursday, the late Hindutva ideologue’s grandson Ranjit Savarkar also lodged a complaint at Shivaji Park police station in Mumbai against Gandhi for allegedly insulting his grandfather.