Thrash Rahul in public: Savarkar's grandson
Mumbai: V D Savarkar's grandson Ranjit Savarkar on Sunday appealed to Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to "thrash" Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in public for "insulting" the late Hindutva icon by his remarks.
Ranjit was referring to the comments made by Rahul Gandhi at a public rally in Delhi on Saturday.
Addressing the "Bharat Bachao Rally", Rahul Gandhi rejected the Bharatiya Janata Party's demand for apology for his "rape in India" barb, and added that his name was Rahul Gandhi, not "Rahul Savarkar", and he will never apologise for speaking the truth.
On Sunday evening, Ranjit Savarkar reminded Thackeray, who heads the Shiv Sena, of his past remarks that those who insult V D Savarkar should be thrashed at a public square.
The Sena heads the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government comprising the Congress and the NCP.
"Rahul Gandhi had repeatedly alleged that my grandfather had apologised to the British, which is not true. My grandfather had only agreed to the terms and conditions of the British to get freed from jail.
He never swore allegiance to the British," Ranjit Savarkar said. A political firestorm has erupted over Rahul Gandhi's remarks on the Hindutva icon.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) alleged violent protests against the amended Citizenship Act were "condemnable act by pseudo-secularist vested interests".
In a statement, VHP international secretary general Milind Parande said there was no harm in giving refuge in India to refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan fleeing religious persecution there.
He alleged that the protests were "anti-national motivated" act. "In spite of this logic of national interest, violent demonstrations being carried out by some pseudo-secularists and self-seeking political parties by confusing, misleading and inciting the people under the policy of minority appeasement," he said.
Parande appealed to state governments to take strict action against all "misguided frenzied elements" and stop any kind of violence and save life, individual and national property.