'Savarkar Vs Manmohan' As BJP, Congress Engage In War Of Words Over Naming Delhi University College

Delhi University's decision to name one of its upcoming colleges after Hindutva icon Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, with the foundation stone to be laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, has ignited a fierce debate between the BJP and Congress.

The Congress's student wing has called for the college to be named after former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who passed away last week, while the BJP has accused the Congress of "habitually disparaging iconic figures."

Photo Credit: PTI

The National Students' Union of India (NSUI), in a letter to PM Modi, highlighted Manmohan Singh's contributions to education and urged that his legacy be honoured by naming the college after him instead of Savarkar.

"Singh established numerous institutions like IITs, IIMs, AIIMS, and introduced the Central Universities Act. Naming institutions after him will inspire generations and honour his transformative vision," the NSUI stated.

The organisation also suggested establishing a central university in Singh's name, noting his pivotal role in liberalising the Indian economy in 1991.

The Veer Savarkar College is set to be constructed in Najafgarh at an estimated cost of ₹140 crore. The decision was approved by Delhi University's executive council in 2021.

Congress MPs Naseer Hussain and Sukhjinder Randhawa criticised the BJP for honouring what they described as "mercy petition writers" to the British. "The PM should reconsider. Savarkar had apologised to the British. How can a college be named after him?" Randhawa remarked.

Hussain, a Rajya Sabha MP, accused the BJP of undermining the contributions of freedom fighters. "The BJP is legitimising those who wrote mercy petitions to the British and even accepted pensions from them," he claimed.

BJP defends college naming, slams Congress

The BJP has firmly defended its decision and responded sharply to the Congress's objections.

"Only the Congress knows which leaders it respects. Veer Savarkar was a freedom fighter. If Delhi University is naming its college in his honour, then we welcome it," stated Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva.

BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla questioned whether leaders like Indira Gandhi or Uddhav Thackeray, who had previously praised Savarkar, were also wrong about their admiration for him.