Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday hit back at ex-MP Rahul Gandhi over his 'I am not Savarkar' remarks and demanded that the Congress leader should be punished. The former Congress chief made the remarks while addressing a press conference after being disqualified from Lok Sabha. "My name is not Savarkar, my name is Gandhi and Gandhi does not offer an apology to anyone," Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Saturday responding to a query on repeated calls by the BJP seeking his apology over various issues.
"VD Savarkar is not only Maharashtra's deity but is an idol for the whole country and Rahul Gandhi has defamed him. Any criticism of Rahul Gandhi will be lesser for his this deed. Today also, he said that I am not Savarkar who will apologise. What does he think of Savarkar? He must be punished for this," Shinde said in the Assembly.
Replying to a debate on the Opposition sponsored "Last Week" resolution in the Legislative Assembly, the chief minister said the law under which Rahul Gandhi has been disqualified as an MP was enacted by the Congress-led UPA government and the Modi government has implemented it. "Lalu Yadav and several others were disqualified but nothing of this sort happened then. Wasn't Democracy in danger then?" Shinde questioned.
"Rahul Gandhi has not only criticised PM Modi but has defamed the entire OBC community. He is continuing to speak in the same tone and I want to tell him that if he continues to do so, it will be difficult for him to walk on the road," Shinde added.
