 "Anurag Thakur")
Thakur said that by disrespecting Veer Savarkar, they have shown that they don’t respect freedom fighters. | File Photo: PTI
BJP leader Anurag Thakur on Thursday lashed out at the Congress party over Karnataka Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao’s statement on Veer Savarkar and alleged Rahul Gandhi of promoting a ‘tukde tukde’ ideology, saying that the Congress leader is a ‘modern Jinnah’ who adds into his party that seek to divide the nation.
Speaking to ANI on Karnataka Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao’s statement, BJP MP Anurag Thakur said, “Congress is a factory of lies. And when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi goes around the world and tells lies and defames India, then his party will also not be left behind in insulting India’s freedom fighters.”
“India will not tolerate the disrespect of Veer Savarkar. Congress never learnt anything from Veer Savarkar, who dedicated his life to the country. Article 370 was given by the Congress party. It was a blunder of Jawaharlal Nehru and thousands of people died. They never apologised for it. By disrespecting Veer Savarkar, they have shown that they don’t respect freedom fighters,” said Anurag Thakur.
He further said, “Sardar Bhagat Singh was termed a separatist in textbooks during the Congress government. By making those who want to break the nation join the Congress party, Rahul Gandhi is taking forward the ideology of ‘tukde tukde’ and he is a ‘modern Jinnah’ who speaks ill of the country abroad.”
The BJP leader also exuded confidence in the party’s victory in the Haryana Assembly elections and said, “The public of Haryana has made up their mind to elect the BJP government in Haryana. They elected the PM Modi-led government for the third time and now in Haryana, they will form the BJP government for the third time.”
Following Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao’s statement on Veer Savarkar’s ideology and claims of him “consuming beef” despite being a Chitpavan brahmin, Savarkar’s grandson, as well as Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, came down heavily at Rao and the Congress on Thursday.
Ranjit Savarkar, the grandson of Veer Savarkar, said that it was Congress’s strategy to defame Savarkar, especially when elections were at the door. He stated that the Congress wanted to divide Hindu society into different castes in order to win elections and that it was the Britisher’s policy of “divide and rule.”
Ranjit Savarkar also said that the claims of Veer Savarkar “consuming beef” were false and that he would also file a defamation suit against Gundu Rai for his statement.”This is a strategy of Congress to defame Savarkar time and again, particularly when elections are coming. Earlier, Rahul Gandhi was doing it and now his leaders are making statements. Congress has shown its real face now. Congress wants to divide Hindu society between castes and win elections. This is like the Britisher’s policy of divide and rule,” he said.
“The statement about Savarkar eating beef and supporting cow slaughter is false. His original article in Marathi meant that cows were very useful, and that’s why they are considered deities. He was also the president of Gau Raksha Samelan. I am going to file a defamation suit against him,” he added.He further claimed that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had always followed the policies of Veer Savarkar and never followed a single policy of Nehru or Gandhi.
Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said that people in the Congress don’t know anything about Savarkar and only insult him.
“These people do not know anything about Savarkar. They insult him again and again. Savarkar has expressed his opinion on cows very well. He had said that since the birth to death of a farmer, cows have helped him. So, cows have been given the status of God. Rahul Gandhi started the series of making such false statements on Savarkar, and I think they are trying to take it forward,” Fadnavis said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said that Savarkar’s fundamentalist ideology was very different from the Indian culture, despite him being a nationalist and that it wouldn’t be Savarkar’s argument but Mahatma Gandhi’s that should win in the country.
Speaking at a book launch of the Kannada version of “Gandhi’s Assassin: The Making of Nathuram Godse and His Idea of India” by journalist Dhirendra K. Jha, Rao said, “If we can say with a discussion that Savarkar wins, that’s not right; he was a non-vegetarian eater, and he wasn’t against cow slaughter; he was a Chitpavan brahmin. Savarkar was modernist in that way but his fundamental thinking was different. Some people said he used to eat beef and he was openly propagating eating beef, so that thinking is different. But Gandhiji had a lot of belief in Hinduism and was conservative in that but his actions were different because he was democratic in that way.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
First Published: Oct 03 2024 | 3:50 PM IST
