BENGALURU : Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday said Veer Savarkar was one of the greatest patriots and the British were more wary of him than other “manageable” freedom fighters at the forefront. That was the reason Savarkar was sentenced to ‘Kalapani’ at the Cellular Jail in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, he said.
He was speaking after releasing the book, ‘Savarkar — The Man Who Could Have Prevented Partition’ written by Central Information Commissioner Uday Mahurkar, at Town Hall here.He said, “The British knew that those on the frontlines of freedom struggle were not as important as Savarkar, a nuclear bomb, and hence kept him in solitude.”
He highlighted Savarkar’s contribution in uniting the princely states against the British through Hindutva. Observing that both Savarkar and BR Ambedkar had similar ideologies, he said politics over untouchability should stop.
BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) BL Santhosh said that despite a conspiracy by his detractors to demean him, Savarkar’s contribution to the country, especially national security, will shine on. “Let them spew fire. But Savarkar had many accolades to his credit as he was the first freedom fighter to be tried by an international court,” he added.
The author, Uday Mahurkar, said except late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, none implemented Savarkar’s ideas on national security as she had successfully fought a war to liberate Bangladesh. “But she too erred on Pakistan Occupied Kashmir issue. In the Narendra Modi-led regime new dawn of Savarkar has ushered in,” he said.