Ranjeet Savarkar, the grandson of pro-independence activist V.D.
Ranjeet Savarkar, the grandson of pro-independence activist V.D. Savarkar has reacted strongly to the Congress party’s official Twitter handle that has described Savarkar as a “fake” freedom fighter, saying that this is just a publicity stunt by the party.
The reaction is to a tweet posted by the Congress on March 4, which read “When Chandra Shekhar Azaad was sacrificing his life for India, BJP’s Savarkar was begging for mercy from the British,” the second tweet posted on March 5 read, “Sardar Patel on BIP’s patriot, Veer Savarkar: It was Savarkar who was involved in Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination.” A picture of Chandra Shekhar Azaad being the “real” freedom fighter and V.D. Savarkar being “fake” had been put up side by side with the tweet.
Speaking to this newspaper Ranjeet said, “If the Congress and Rahul (Gandhi) had any common sense they would not have made this statement. I think with this the party has reached a new since they just want to say something that everyone listens to and this statement of theirs does not make any sense.”
Talking about his grandfather being constantly in touch with Subhas Chandra Bose until the very end, Ranjeet said, “My grandfather had met with Bose till almost the end of his life the fight for freedom. So how can one say that he was not doing what he could or was somehow linked to Gandhis’ deaths The Congress brings up Gandhi at their convenience and forgets him when it gets controversial for them.”
On the other hand, activist and historian Vivek Korde has said that the Congress’s statement is not totally untrue.
“When Savarkar was arrested and sent to Kaala Pani the transcripts of his petition for clemency is available to the public where he has that he will unconditionally give up the freedom struggle if the British let him and his brother Babarao Savarkar go,” said Mr Korde.
Journalist Niranjan Takle said that Savarkar should be divided into two parts i.e., before and after his arrest. “Before his arrest in 1910 we hear Savarkar talk about Hindu-Muslim unity but after his arrest and the final release it seemed that he had developed a different personality. He established the Hindu Mahasabha during which he has publicly asked for a Hindu state,” Mr Korde said.
