Ahead of the 78th Independence Day celebrations on 15th August, Tiranga Yatras are being organised across the country. However, a controversy erupted in one such Tiranga Yatra in the Sangani village of Gujarat’s Surendranagar district. The incident unfolded when Congress leaders stopped the participating students and raised objections over their saffron colour T-shirts. As per reports, they also asked the students to remove the T-shirts alleging that it was promoting an ‘RSS leader’, Veer Savarkar.
The Congress leaders also made disparaging remarks and repeated the false allegations against Savarkar, including the allegations of involvement in the MK Gandhi murder case, which have been repeatedly busted.
Following the incident, MoS Home affairs in Gujarat government, Harsh Sanghvi informed that the Congress leaders who were part of the incident have been booked for insulting freedom fighters. He added that the Congress leaders seen in the video were not worthy to certify the patriotism of Veer Savarkar Ji & Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
The Congress or the leaders seen in the video are not worthy of certifying the patriotism of Veer Savarkar Ji & Netaji
— Harsh Sanghavi (@sanghaviharsh) August 14, 2024
Snatching T-shirts from the young children participating in the Tiranga Yatra in Surendranagar is highly condemnable.
Today, those who insulted Veer Savarkar… https://t.co/TRCoXG6jMJ
According to reports, on Wednesday, the local unit of the Congress party was taking out Nyay Yatra and as it reached near the students’ Tiranga Yatra, they created a ruckus and stopped the students. The Congress leaders alleged that school uniforms were being suppressed and the T-shirts were promoting VD Savarkar whom they labelled as an ‘RSS guy‘ and repeated the baseless tropes of him being involved in the MK Gandhi Murder case.
They also raised objects to the T-shirts alleging that the students were forgetting and overlooking MK Gandhi and Sardar Patel in their own home state. However, it is pertinent to note that the saffron T-shirts have images of two prominent freedom fighters, Veer Savarkar and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
Meanwhile, the video of the incident is now doing rounds on social media.
Congress leaders stopped a #TirangaYatra in Surendranagar and forced the school kids to remove their T-shirts because Veer Savarkar and Netaji Bose's pictures were printed on them.
— Mr Sinha (@MrSinha_) August 14, 2024
Shameless family slaves tolerate only Gandhi-Nehru family members' pictures..
I hope… pic.twitter.com/7SG6bUvLqY
गुजरात के सुरेंद्रनगर जिले के सांगणी गाँव में तिरंगा यात्रा को कांग्रेस के लोकल नेताओं ने रोका .. तिरंगा यात्रा निकाल रहे बच्व्चों द्वारा पहने T-shirts उतरवाए गए क्योकि उन पर वीर सावरकर की तस्वीर छपी थी , उस T-shirt पर सुभाषचंद्र बोज़ की तस्वीर भी छपी हुई थी .. #NewsUpdates… pic.twitter.com/bvhQU13xs3
— Nirnay Kapoor (@nirnaykapoor) August 14, 2024
In the viral video, some Congress leaders could be seen stopping the students from taking out the Tiranga Yatra and raising objections on their T-shirts.
In the video, one person can be heard saying, “School dress is being suppressed and they are walking around with images of RSS’ Savarkar, that’s not right.”
He then addresses the children and says, “You decide whether we will go out wearing pictures of Gandhi Bapu or of Savarkar.” In response to which the children could be heard replying ‘Gandhi Bapu’.
A party leader could also be heard harassing the teachers and principal of Sangani school for allowing students to wear T-shirts with images of Veer Savarkar alleging that he was involved in MK Gandhi’s murder.
Later, the Congress leaders ask the students to remove the t-shirts, and the children comply.
During the incident, National President (Chief Organiser) of Congress Sevadal, Lalji Desai asked, “Tomorrow, if they provide you with a T-shirt of Godse or Dawood, will you make them wear that?”
The Congress leaders also lamented that Gandhi and Sardar are being forgotten and Savarkar is being given a place. However, in the video, several Congress leaders could be seen wearing T-shirts featuring ‘Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra’ and had not given place to either Gandhi or Sardar Patel. Meanwhile, some police officers could also be seen in the video.
Congress leader writes a letter to District Collector seeking a ban on T-shirts with images of Veer Savarkar
Former MLA and President of the Surendranagar District Congress Committee, Naushad Solanki also wrote a letter to the District Collector asking for a ban on T-shirts having Savarkar image on it.
“This is to inform you that as part of a conspiracy to erase the names of Gandhi and Sardar Patel from Gujarat of Gandhi and Sardar, saffron-colored t-shirts with Savarkar’s picture are being distributed to school children in Surendranagar district on the occasion of Independence Day. Gujarat is the birthplace and workplace of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel. Despite this, t-shirts with Savarkar’s photo, instead of Gandhi and Sardar Patel, are being distributed as part of a conspiracy. This has hurt the sentiments of the people of Gujarat. Therefore, we request an immediate ban on such t-shirts and ask that t-shirts with pictures of Gandhi and Sardar Patel be provided instead,” the Congress leader was quoted saying in DeshGujarat.
चोटिला तहसील के 9 गांव में मुंबई स्थित "श्रीमती इंदुमती वसंतलाल शाह चेरिटेबल ट्रस्ट" द्वारा स्टेशनरी की कुछ चीज और टीशर्ट बांटे गए.
— Aaditya. (@DrAadityaMehta) August 14, 2024
भगवा रंग के यह टीशर्ट पर वीर सावरकर की तस्वीर है, कांग्रेस ने वीर सावरकर को RSS के साथ जोड़ कर इसकी प्रस्तुति की गई.! https://t.co/GcxBgHxhJk https://t.co/PZ0HoRrYmy
However, it is important to note that a Mumbai based organised ‘Shrimati Indumati Vasantlal Shah Charitable Trust’, distributed stationery items to the young students in the Chotila Taluka region. Incidentally, the Trust also gave them Saffron colour T-shirts having images of Veer Savarkar and Netaji on it.
Divya Bhaskar also peddles the agenda of ‘Gandhi-Sardar being forgotten’
While the Congressmen made disparaging remarks against Veer Savarkar, Gujarati media outlet, Divya Bhaskar also furthered the trope that ‘Gandhi-Sardar’ are being forgotten in their native state. The title of the Divya Bhaskar report reads – Gandhi-Sardar forgotten in Gujarat: Tirangayatra started from Chotila in T-shirts of Savarkar and Subhash Chandra Bose, Congress said- ‘now tomorrow they will wear T-shirts of Godse or Dawood’.
It is pertinent to note that the students only wore T-shirts of prominent freedom fighters, Veer Savarkar and Netaji Bose, that were given to them but no disrespect was meted out to any other freedom fighters including MK Gandhi and Sardar Patel during the Tiranga Yatra.
Nonetheless, Mos Home Affairs, Harsh Sanghvi has shared that the Congress leaders have been booked under sections 126(2), 189(3), 221, 197(C)(D), 352, and 353 of the Indian Penal Code for insulting Veer Savarkar and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
