‘Savarkar An Accomplished Man, Played Part In Freedom Struggle’: Congress’ Abhishek Singhvi Goes Against Party Stance

Congress national spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi on Monday (21 October) called Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, an accomplished man, who played a part in the freedom struggle and went to jail for the country.

"I personally don't subscribe to Savarkar's ideology but that doesn't take away the fact that he was an accomplished man who played a part in our freedom struggle, fight for Dalit rights and went to jail for the country."

In its manifesto for the Maharashtra Assembly polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has proposed Bharat Ratna for Savarkar, a promised which has been questioned by the Congress.

Earlier last week, after Maharashtra BJP in its election manifesto said that it will ask the Centre to confer Bharat Ratna on Savarkar, Congress leader Manish Tewari had slammed BJP for the proposal.

"If on the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, this government considers any such thing (giving Bharat Ratna to Savarkar), then all I want to say is that God save this country," Tewari had said, as reported by Times of India.

(With inputs from IANS)