BJP hits back at Congress for running down Savarkar

Ballia (UP), March 25: BJP on Friday, March 25 hit back at Congress for running down BJP-RSS ideologue V D Savarkar, saying the day is not too far when even Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel would "appear anti-national" to the opposition party.

BJP MP Ravindra Kushwaha accused Congress of openly siding with anti-national elements. Yaqoob Memon and Afzal Guru had become Congress party's "ideals", while it considered Savarkar, who played an important role in freedom struggle, as anti-national, he alleged.

"If Savarkar was a traitor, why did the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi issue a commemorative stamp while praising Sarvarkar," the Lok Sabha member from Salempur constituency in Uttar Pradesh said.

"The day is not too far when Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel will appear to them (Congress) as anti-national," he said He alleged that Congress leaders were "desperate and frustrated" due to the work done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and were unable to differentiate between "pro and anti-national elements".

Congress had utilised the death anniversary of Bhagat Singh to run down Savarkar by juxtaposing the famous revolutionary against the BJP-RSS ideologue. "Bhagat Singh dared the British Raj to send the executioners.

BJP-RSS ideologue Savarkar begged for his own release" "Bhagat Singh waged war for Freedom from British Raj, V D Savarkar begged for mercy, to be a slave in British Raj," the party had said in a series of tweets.

To a query regarding BJP's preparations for 2017 UP Assembly elections, Kushwaha claimed there was a wave in favour of his party. He said Modi was the biggest face of the party, which would disclose its election strategy at the right time.

PTI