Apologise for Savarkar remarks or face ban on entry

Thane: The ruling Shiv Sena in Maharashtra on Friday sought an apology from Karnataka minister and Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao for his critical comments on Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.

Party spokesperson Naresh Mhaske warned Rao will not be allowed to enter Maharashtra, where Savarkar is a revered figure, if he failed to issue an apology within 24 hours.

The Karnataka minister triggered a controversy with his remarks that Savarkar used to eat meat and was not against cow slaughter.

“Savarkar, a ‘Chitpavan Brahmin’, used to eat meat. He was a non-veg eater and he was not against cow slaughter. He was modern in a way,” Rao said at an event in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference at Anand Ashram in Thane city, Mhaske targeted Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray, a Congress ally, for not raising his voice against grave insult of the freedom fighter. The former Maharashtra CM has no right to put up photos of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, a Hindutva proponent, asserted the Lok Sabha MP from Thane.

The Shiv Sena spokesperson maintained the ideology of Congress has become “corrupt”.

“Therefore, their leaders are making such statements about Savarkar. It was expected that the Shiv Sena (UBT) would hold a press conference to protest Karnataka minister Gundu Rao’s derogatory remarks on Savarkar, but nothing happened.

Because they (Sena UBT) are afraid of (Congress leaders) Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi,” Mhaske remarked.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party has aligned with the Congress just for power, he said.

Mhaske asked Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, son of Uddhav Thackeray, to clarify his party’s position on Hindutva and remarks against Savarkar. “It is a Congress conspiracy to insult Savarkar in the wake of elections,” he alleged. The assembly polls in Maharashtra are likely to be held next month.