Maharashtra: Vinayak Damodar Savarkar helped British, says Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar helped the British adding that he wrote a mercy petition to the then rulersAddressing a press conference Gandhi showed a paper to the media persons claiming it was a letter written by Savarkar to the BritishI will read the last line which says I beg to remain your most obedient servant and is signed V D Savarkar Gandhi said at the media interaction during his Bharat Jodo Yatra foot march which is in the last leg in MaharashtraHis comments came after Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray said he does not agree with Gandhis views on Savarkar Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis has also claimed that Gandhi has been shamelessly lying about SavarkarAlso Read Maharashtra After Pooja Bhatt Riya Sen takes part in Bharat Jodo Yatra in AkolaGandhi said he was of the view that Savarkar signed the letter out of fear and in doing so betrayed Mahatma Gandhi Sardar Patel Pandit Nehru and other leaders of the freedom struggleThe Congress MP said the BJP has been spreading hatred fear and violence in the countryOn the perception that the opposition has been unable to take on the BJP Gandhi said that perception is superficial because the opposition doesnt control institutions media and judiciaryShowing compassion and affection even to your opponents are Indian values The yatra is doing the same he saidYou can disagree with the views of your opponent by showing affection and love he saidTo a question on Congress and opposition leaders betraying the ideology to join BJP before elections Gandhi said this will cleanse the oppositionThose who can sell themselves for money are joining BJP There are clean people around and they will come to Congress he saidAsked if he is the Congress prime ministerial candidate for 2024 elections Gandhi said such questions are meant to deflect attention from the yatraThe yatra was conceptualised because India was internally fractured and in pain he saidComparing the yatra to Mahatma Gandhis marches was wrong he saidTo a query on the impact the yatra will have on the Congress Gandhi said he is not a soothsayer and cant predict what impact the foot march will have on his partyThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever