'Savarkarji helped British...', Rahul Gandhi shows proof to back remarks on Savarkar

Akola, Nov 17: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday again targeted the late Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar, claiming that he helped the British rulers and wrote a mercy petition to them out of fear.

Addressing a press conference, Gandhi showed documents dating back to 1920 to media persons, claiming that they contained a letter written by Savarkar to the British.

"I will read the last line, which says 'I beg to remain your most obedient servant' and is signed V D Savarkar, which shows he helped the British," Gandhi said at the media interaction during his Bharat Jodo Yatra that is in the last leg in Maharashtra.

He said he was of the view that Savarkar signed the letter out of fear and in doing so, he betrayed Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru and other leaders of the freedom struggle.

Gandhi, Nehru, Patel remained in jail for years, but none of them signed any such letter, he said.

"A copy of this (Savarkar's) letter should be sent to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat. If (BJP leader) Devendra Fadnavis wants to see it, he can also see," Gandhi added.

The fresh row erupted after Gandhi called Savarkar a symbol of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the RSS.
"He was jailed in Andaman for two-three years. He started writing mercy petitions," the Congress MP had said.

Former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, whose Shiv Sena faction is in alliance with the Congress, distanced himself from Rahul Gandhi's statement.

"We have immense respect and faith for Swatyantra Veer Savarkar and it cannot be erased..." said Uddhav Thackeray.