Malegaon, Maharashtra: Warning Congress leader Rahul Gandhi not to insult Vinayaka Savarkar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday warned that humiliating Savarkar would create “Cracks” in the opposition alliance.
Uddhav Thackeray further said that he considers Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar as his idol and asked the Congress leader to refrain from insults.
“Savarkar suffered unimaginable torture in an Andaman cell for 14 years. We can only read the suffering. It is a form of sacrifice. We will not tolerate insulting Savarkar,” said Uddhav Thackeray.
He further said that if Rahul Gandhi continued to “humiliate” Savarkar, there would be “pigs” in the opposition alliance.
“Veer Savarkar is our God and any disrespect to him will not be tolerated. We are ready to fight but insulting our Gods is not something we will tolerate,” the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief said.
“The alliance of the Uddhav faction, Congress, and NCP was formed to protect democracy and we have to work unitedly. Rahul Gandhi is being provoked deliberately, but if we waste time, democracy will cease to exist,” Uddhav Thackeray said in the speech. rally in Malegaon.
Uddhav Thackeray was referring to Rahul Gandhi’s recent statement where he said he is not a Savarkar.
“My name is not Savarkar, my name is Gandhi, and Gandhi does not apologize to anyone,” Rahul Gandhi said at a press conference on Saturday after his expulsion from parliament following a conviction in a defamation case.
Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as a Member of Parliament following a Surat court order convicting him in a criminal defamation case over his “Surname Modi” remark.
Uddhav Thackeray, whose Sena faction is an ally of the Congress and the NCP in the state, however, urged Rahul Gandhi not to be provoked and to come together to “save India’s democracy”.
Uddhav Thackeray came down hard on BJP’s argument regarding Rahul Gandhi’s remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not India.
“Modi is not India. Did our freedom fighters give their lives for this? Questioning Modi is not about insulting India,” he said.