Savarkar heat on Rahul: Uddhav Sena cautions against insults

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New Delhi, March 27

A day after former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray warned Rahul Gandhi against insulting Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Sena MP Sanjay Raut too cautioned the former Congress chief against repeated attacks on the Hindutva ideologue.

Goyal slams Congress MPs’ ‘misconduct’

The Lok Sabha on Monday morning saw an unprecedented ruckus with Congress MPs, dressed in black, to protest their colleague Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification over a defamation case conviction, tearing and hurling papers at the Speaker, leading to a quick adjournment of proceedings. Leader of Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal slammed the “misconduct of the Congress”, saying “they are so frustrated that ‘black magic’ appears to be their sole option.” TNS

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, who accused Rahul of resorting to melodrama, hit out at the disqualified MP with remarks that invited sharp rebuttals from Congress leaders. “The other day he (Rahul Gandhi) said he won’t apologise because he is not Savarkar. Do you know the contribution of people like Savarkar ji? You are getting, as I said, an **s to run a horse’s race,” said Puri, inviting a strong counter from AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh.

“New entrants to the BJP, especially those who become Cabinet ministers, often make outrageous statements to strengthen their new loyalties. Such statements reveal their own character,” Ramesh tweeted.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur also took on Rahul for saying “my name is Gandhi, not Savarkar; and a Gandhi never apologises to anyone”. Rahul was speaking last week in reference to his defamatory statements made in respect of Modis for which a Surat court sentenced him to two-year imprisonment, leading to his instant disqualification from the Lok Sabha. “Dear Shri Gandhi, you can never be Savarkar even in your best dreams because being Savarkar requires strong determination, love for Bharat, selflessness and commitment,” Thakur tweeted.

Even the opposition unity Congress attracted today over Rahul’s disqualification appeared to have been dented due to his anti-Savarkar remarks with MPs of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) skippng the meeting and dinner hosted by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence today evening. Former Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi attended the dinner. So did leaders of 18 opposition parties including the TMC. Sena mouthpiece Saamana also took exception to Rahul’s comments about Savarkar, whom Uddhav had on Sunday described as the party’s “idol”