MUMBAI: The Sharad Pawar-led NCP has quietly and cleverly drifted apart from the Congress on the VD Savarkar issue. The NCP is demanding the highest award of Bharat Ratna to VD Savarkar for his contributions to the freedom struggle. On Monday, Ajit Pawar said the academic degree of PM Narendra Modi was not the important issue, but “the rise in gas prices and unemployment are.”
Earlier on Monday, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut tweeted, “Some people are calling Hon. The PM‘s degree is fake. I sincerely believe that the Degree in #EntirePoliticalScience is historical & revolutionary! Hence it should be displayed at the grand entrance of our new Parliament building, so that people stop raising doubts about it!” Reacting to it, Ajit Pawar said that Narendra Modi has been the Prime minister of India for the last nine years. So what is the point of raising his degree issue now?”
Ajit Pawar said the BJP is in power in central and state government, “so they should confer the Bharat Ratna to Savarkar.”
He said Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena started the Savarkar Gaurav Yatra in Maharashtra. “BJP is in power in Maharashtra and at the Centre, then, which auspicious day are they waiting to confer Bharat Ratna to Savakrar? There are many national icons and great people who have not been conferred with Bharat Ratna. Savarkar is one of them. BJP is doing politics in Savarkar’s name,” said Pawar.
He said earlier former Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari insulted Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Savitri Bai Phule and Mahatma Phule with his controversial remarks. At that time, BJP kept its mouth shut. “It shows that the BJP wants to do the convenience of politics. The talkative leaders of the BJP made controversial statements against our national icons. That time BJP neither stopped them nor condemned their remarks,” Ajit Pawar said.
Earlier Maha Vikas Aghadi’s alliance partner Shiv Sena had also demanded Bharat Ratna for Savakar and made such a proposal when Uddhav Thackeray was the chief minister. But Congress has a different stand over Savarkar. Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said the MVA was formed on common minimum agendas and Savarkar was not a part of it. He said it is an open fact that Shiv Sena and Congress have different stands when it comes to him. “When all freedom fighters were fighting for the country, Savarkar filed the mercy petitions. Besides, he has also written objectionable stuff against Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his son,” Patole said.
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