Sanjay Raut, an MP for the Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray, said on Saturday that this nation is Jawaharlal Nehru’s land, a day after he warned of a breach in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance over Rahul Gandhi’s remarks about Veer Savarkar.
Speaking to the media, Raut asserted that the nation as a whole respected the leaders of independence.
“Veer Savarkar, Subhash Chandra Bose, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel, and Mahatma Gandhi—all those who sacrificed their happiness in the freedom struggle for this country—the whole country has respect and faith for them,” Raut said.
He further said that former Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had done a lot for the country, and it is his land.
“Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru made a lot of contributions towards the development of the country. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have taken much time for the country to become like Pakistan. The country is Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s land,” Raut added.
Raut had forewarned Congress of a split in the MVA, which also includes the Uddhav-Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), on Friday.
“We consider Veer Savarkar a revered figure,” Raut said.
Earlier, addressing a press conference in Maharashtra on the sidelines of his ongoing ‘Bhaat Jodo Yatra’, on Thursday, Rahul Gandhi, reading from a letter purportedly written by Savarkar to the British, claimed the saffron ideologue betrayed leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel by signing a letter of apology to the British before independence.
“Veer Savarkar wrote to the British saying, ‘Sir, I beg to remain your most obedient servant’, and signed it. Savarkar helped the British. He betrayed leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Sardar Patel by signing this letter out of fear.”
Hitting back at Rahul Gandhi on Friday, Raut said, “The country is heading towards dictatorship, and there’s inflation, unemployment, and atrocities against women.” The “Bharat Jodo Yatra” is meant to highlight all these issues. The maximum support for the yatra has been received from Maharashtra. So, there was no need to raise the topic of Veer Savarkar. “Even Congress leaders in Maharashtra don’t appreciate it (Rahul’s remarks on Savarkar).”
The BJP expressed fury over the comment, with Sambit Patra, the party’s national spokesperson, alleging that it was similar to the Congress’ custom of disparaging national figures like Subhas Chandra Bose and Sardar Patel.
The BJP leader called Rahul Gandhi’s statement “deplorable” and urged that he offer an unreserved apology.
Following a significant outcry, a complaint was filed against Rahul Gandhi at the Thane Nagar police station in response to his remarks on Thursday.
According to the complaint, Gandhi’s statements had wounded the residents’ feelings. Under IPC sections 500 and 501, a case of non-cognizable offence was filed against the Congress MP.