Shiv Sena on Thursday, in its editorial mouthpiece, Saamna, backed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Bhrastachari No 1’ remark on Rajiv Gandhi, saying that this is the price Congress president Rahul Gandhi has to pay for “insulting” freedom fighter Veer Savarkar.
Shiv Sena said in its editorial that the Congress scion has blatantly called the Prime Minister a ‘chor’ in his public rallies and intermittently insulted Veer Savarkar publicly.
“Rahul Gandhi refers to Narendra Modi as ‘chor’ in public assemblies; does anyone expect the Prime Minister to invite him for a cup of tea for this? Even if we assume that what Prime Minister said about Rajiv Gandhi was wrong, the manner in which Rahul Gandhi has insulted great freedom fighter Veer Savarkar is worse,” said Shiv Sena. “The manner in which he made fun of Savarkar and described how he freed himself by pleading to be British, it is an insult to all the freedom fighters and is simply unacceptable,” the editorial read.
The Congress President had in the INC’ 84th plenary session, last year, disparaged the credibility behind Veer Savarkar’s life by branding him a ‘traitor’ and a “British Stooge”. He tainted him as an “anti-national” because he sent ‘mercy petitions and clemencies’ to British in jail.
Gandhiji spent 15 years in jail and died for the nation. But India must never forget that while our leader slept on the floor in jail Savarkar wrote a letter to the British begging for mercy and clemency.: Congress President Rahul Gandhi #CongressPlenary #ChangeIsNow pic.twitter.com/IbZQQzDg1V
— Congress (@INCIndia) March 18, 2018
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena, while defending the Prime Minister for his remark, said the latter has simply “shown him (Rahul) his deeds.”
“Rajiv Gandhi was killed in an attack by the Tamil militants and all were saddened that Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi’s father left them. Before his entry into politics, Rajiv Gandhi did nothing great for the nation, hence a term like “sacrifice” doesn’t suit him. He became Prime Minister after Indira Gandhi was brutally murdered and later on his politics and life also ended in a sad manner. But such was not the case with Veer Savarkar, who at the age of 14 years pledged in front of the Almighty to get independence for his nation and fight British till his last breath,” the editorial read.
At an election rally in Pratapgarh constituency on May 4, Prime Minister Modi in response to the incessant allegations on the Rafale deal by the Congress President Rahul Gandhi, who is out on bail in National Herald case, had said that his father (Rajiv Gandhi) was termed as Mr Clean by his courtiers but his life ended as a Bhrashtachari No.1.
Though many opposition leaders condemned PM Modi’s remark the Prime Minister stood his ground and challenged the Congress to fight the remaining phases of Lok Sabha elections on the issue of Rajiv Gandhi’s self-respect.
