Bharat Ratna for Veer Savarkar: Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray reiterated his demand for conferring the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor, on Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar.
Thackeray, who was in Nagpur on Tuesday to participate in the winter session of the Maharashtra Assembly, addressed the press conference and questioned the BJP, asking when they would confer the Bharat Ratna on Veer Savarkar. "Regarding Veer Savarkar, I want to ask why he should not be given Bharat Ratna. He should be given. When Devendra Fadnavis was the CM, he had written letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding this demand, but what happened to it? Still, Veer Savarkar is not being given Bharat Ratna. Even today he is the CM when his demand is not being considered, then BJP has no right to speak on Veer Savarkar," Thackeray said.
Congress should stop chanting Veer Savarkar
Targeting Congress, the former CM said, "I want to tell both Congress and BJP that Congress should stop targeting Savarkar, and BJP should stop targeting Nehru. Instead of dwelling on the past, we should focus on building the future. Whatever decisions both leaders made in their time were appropriate for their era. Therefore, Prime Minister Modi should also refrain from repeatedly invoking Nehru's name now."
Thackeray's demand for Bharat Ratna for Veer Savarkar has drawn mixed reactions from political allies and rivals. Sharad Pawar's NCP, a key ally of Thackeray in Maharashtra, has chosen to stay silent on the issue. NCP leader Jitendra Awhad remarked, "I do not know what Uddhav Thackeray demanded or said, so I will not comment on it."
On the other hand, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena has criticised Thackeray's stance. Party leader and cabinet minister Bharat Gogavale said, "Uddhav Thackeray has made the demand, and that is fine. Leaders of the Mahayuti will collectively decide on the matter of awarding Bharat Ratna to Veer Savarkar. However, Uddhav Thackeray, who has abandoned Hindutva, has no right to speak about Veer Savarkar."
About Veer Savarkar
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, popularly known as Veer Savarkar, was born on May 28, 1883, in Nashik. He was a multifaceted personality, being a freedom fighter, politician, lawyer, and writer, and is renowned for coining the term 'Hindutva'. He gave shape to the ideology of Hindutva and is seen as an icon by politicians supportive of the idea.
Savarkar played a significant role in the 'Hindu Mahasabha' and began his involvement in the freedom movement while still in high school. He continued his activism while studying at Fergusson College in Pune, where he was greatly influenced by the radical Nationalist leader, Lokmanya Tilak. While pursuing law studies in the United Kingdom, Savarkar engaged with groups like India House and the Free India Society.
A prolific writer, Savarkar authored books advocating revolutionary methods for achieving complete Indian independence. One of his notable works, 'The Indian War of Independence', detailing the 1857 'Sepoy Mutiny' or the First War of Independence, was banned by the British colonial authorities.