Firing a fresh salvo at its alliance partner in Maharashtra – NCP and the Congress, senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday said those who criticise Veer Savarkar will only realise his sacrifice if they spend two days at the cell in Andaman Cellular Jail where Savarkar was imprisoned.
Speaking to the media, Shiv Sena RS member Sanjay Raut launched an attack on the Congress party, especially Gandhi-scion Rahul Gandhi for ridiculing nationalist hero Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
Sanjay Raut,Shiv Sena: Those who oppose Veer Savarkar, they maybe from any ideology or party, let them stay for just two days at the cell in Andaman cellular jail where Savarkar was lodged.Only then will they realize his sacrifice and his contribution to the nation pic.twitter.com/8J749b5dF4
— ANI (@ANI) January 18, 2020
“Those who oppose Veer Savarkar, they may be from any ideology or party, let them stay for just two days at the cell in Andaman cellular jail where Savarkar was lodged. Only then will they realize his sacrifice and his contribution to the nation,” said Sanjay Raut.
Raut’s delayed reaction come after a huge controversy that had erupted across the country following Rahul Gandhi’s cheap dig at Veer Savarkar. The controversy began first after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi refused to withdraw his December 2019 “rape in India” remark claiming that his surname was Gandhi, not Savarkar.
Congress, Shiv Sena’s new alliance partner, has on several occasions attempted to malign Veer Savarkar’s contributions to India’s freedom by branding him as a “loyal colonialist”.
Earlier this month, a group affiliated to the Congress had distributed booklets titled Veer Savarkar, Kitne Veer?’ in one of its workshops. The booklet had claimed that co-founder of Hindu Mahasabha Veer Savarkar had a physical relationship with Nathuram Godse, Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin. Both Shiva Sena and NCP both urged the Congress to withdraw the booklet.
The BJP, which is the opposition party in the state had slammed the ruling coalition in the state for vilifying Veer Savarkar. Former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had slammed Shiv Sena for its silence over the anti-Savarkar tirade by Congress and had said that the “Tiger has turned into a cat”.
Of late, Shiv Sena has inadvertently rubbed its alliance partner Congress on several occasions. Just two days back, Sanjay Raut had triggered a massive controversy when he revealed that former PM Indira Gandhi used to visit Karim Lala, one of the three most powerful underworld dons of Mumbai. Raut’s remark had sparked massive outrage from the Congress party following which he was forced to retract his statement.
