NEW DELHI: The BJP on Friday strongly reacted to the distribution of a Hindi booklet by a Congress affiliate which claims that Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar and Mahatma Gandhi’s killer Nathuram Godse were in a physical relationship.
The BJP termed the insinuation by the Congress Seva Dal “abhorrent” and accused the outfit of working to denigrate all leaders outside the Nehru-Gandhi family. Party general secretary Anil Jain took a swipe at the Congress, saying that “the world knows of the various relationships of Congress leaders”, but he does not want to throw such muck.
“Nobody in the Congress suffered like Savarkar, a Hindutva icon,” Jain said and wondered on the low the opposition party has fallen in attacking him.”
Raising the issue during a rally in Jodhpur, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the Congress should be ashamed of itself. “Congress party is speaking against a great personality like Savarkar for vote-bank politics. Congressmen should be ashamed of themselves,” said Shah.
Union minister Smriti Irani too came out against the Congress.“The Congress, which is one of the ruling parties in Maharashtra, will have to answer the Marathi people and all patriots in the country on how long will it continue to insult the sacrifice of Veer Savarkar,” Irani said.