After Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated a portrait of Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council picture gallery on Tuesday, Congress MLC Deepak Singh wrote to the Chairman in a bid to seek the portrait’s removal.
In his letter, Singh wrote, “The installation of the picture of Savarkarji along with that of great freedom fighters who withstood atrocities of the British and yet did not bow before them is an insult to all those who continued to bear all kind of tortures and kept fighting for independence,” PTI quoted.
Further objecting to the installation, he appealed that the portrait should be placed in parliamentary office of Bharatiya Janata Party.
CM Adityanath, on the other hand, had termed Savarkar as a “great freedom fighter and philosopher whose personality is a source of inspiration for all Indians” during its inauguration, PTI reported.
Speaking to ANI, UP Minister SN Singh on Wednesday, said that “Congress MLCs should know that Indira Gandhi had praised him. They should recall what she had said. Congress should stop insulting patriots whose names should have been included in history.”
Singh also added that Savarkar’s “tales of valour” were of great importance to India and accused the Congress of confining history to their family name.
The BJP and the Congress have had contrasting views on the Savarkar, who championed the Hindutva ideology that BJP has long associated itself with. While the former has maintained Savarkar’s status as a "great patriot" who made vital contributions in the nation’s freedom struggle, the latter, along with the rest of the Opposition, have shunned the figure for his alleged link to MK Gandhi's assassin, Nathuram Godse.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)
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