Leaders react to Maharashtra BJP’s pitch for Bharat Ratna for the Hindutva icon

Maharashtra BJP’s electoral promise of awarding highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna to Hindutva icon V.D. Savarkar has led to another war of words between the Opposition Congress and the BJP in Karnataka.

Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly Siddaramaiah on Friday strongly opposed the move saying that Savarkar was an accused in the Mahatma Gandhi murder case.

Addressing party workers in Mangaluru, Mr. Siddaramaiah said though Savarkar was acquitted for lack of evidence, the angle of conspiracy remains and the proposal to confer the highest award on him was condemnable.

“Neither the Hindu Mahasabha to which Savarkar belonged to nor the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh participated in the freedom struggle. In fact, these two organisations were with the British,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said. One need not be surprised if the Central government confers the Bharat Ratna on Nathuram Godse, the killer of the Mahatma, too, he added. Mr. Siddaramaiah alleged that the BJP was a party full of sycophants and it had no concrete agenda about development.

Echoing similar sentiments, Karnataka Congress president Dinesh Gundu Rao in Bengaluru dubbed Savarkar as a “controversial figure” linked to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. “Savarkar was also accused in the case. There were documents for this. He was acquitted. But his role in the killing of Gandhi is not questionable. There are still doubts,” Mr. Rao said. After the British released him from prison, Savarkar did not participate in the freedom struggle, Mr. Rao said.

‘Insult on fighters’

Describing Congress leaders’ criticism of Savarkar as an indication of their “intellectual bankruptcy” and an “insult heaped on freedom fighters”, the BJP demanded that Congress leaders tender a public apology to freedom fighters and people of the country. It also warned the Congress of an agitation.

Taking exception to statements of Mr. Siddaramaiah and Mr. Rao that Savarkar was one of the conspirators of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination, BJP State general secretary and MLC N. Ravi Kumar said details regarding the murder were already known. He asked Congress leaders to understand history before speaking. He said people were yet to forget the episode of AICC former president Rahul Gandhi facing the wrath of the court for his remarks that RSS was behind the murder of Gandhi.