Uddhav Thackeray, leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT), warned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday not to insult Vinayak Savarkar, saying that doing so would cause “cracks” in the opposition alliance.
Savarkar also stated that Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar is his idol and requested that the Congress leader refrain from insulting him.
“Savarkar suffered unimaginable torture in the Andaman cellular jail for 14 years. We can only read the sufferings. It is a form of sacrifice. We will not tolerate the insult of Savarkar,” Uddhav said.
He further said that there would be ‘cracks’ in the opposition alliance if Gandhi continues to ‘demean’ Savarkar.
“Veer Savarkar is our God, and any disrespect towards him will not be tolerated. We are prepared to fight, but insulting our Gods is not something we will tolerate,” the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief said.
“The alliance of the Uddhav faction, Congress and NCP was made to protect democracy and we need to work unitedly. Rahul Gandhi is being provoked deliberately but if we waste time in this, democracy will cease to exist,” Uddhav said while addressing a rally in Malegaon.
Uddhav was referring to Rahul Gandhi’s recent statement where he said that he is not Savarkar.
“My name is not Savarkar, my name is Gandhi and Gandhi does not offer an apology to anyone,” Rahul said on Saturday in a press conference following his disqualification as an MP after conviction in defamation case.
Following a Surat court order convicting him in a criminal defamation case over his ‘Modi surname’ remark, Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as a Member of Parliament.
Uddhav Thackeray, whose Sena faction is allied with the Congress and the NCP in the state, urged Rahul Gandhi not to be provoked and to unite to “save India’s democracy.”
Thackeray, on the other hand, praised Gandhi’s questioning of the government on the Hindenburg report, saying the Prime Minister should have explained where the ‘20,000 crore’ came into the Adani firm.
Thackeray slammed the BJP’s defence of Rahul Gandhi’s remark about Modi, claiming that Modi is not India.
“Modi is not India. Did our freedom fighters lay down their lives for this? Questioning Modi is not about insulting India,” he said.
