Shiv Sena (UBT) backs Mohan Bhagwat's demand for Bharat Ratna for VD Savarkar, slams BJP

New Delhi [India], February 9 (ANI): Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Monday echoed Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat's demand for a Bharat Ratna for VD Savarkar and slammed the BJP for not doing so despite being in power since 2014.
Speaking to ANI, Priyanka Chaturvedi asked Mohan Bhagwat not only to remind the BJP of conferring the highest civilian award on Savarkar, but also to ensure it.
She said, "The BJP has also repeatedly spoken about awarding the Bharat Ratna to Veer Savarkar. They have been in power since 2014, and they have used his name to garner votes, but when it comes to actually awarding him the Bharat Ratna, they ignore it. However, when it comes to actually awarding him the Bharat Ratna, the BJP goes on the back foot. Their government had a majority in 2014 and 2019, yet they did not confer the award on Savarkar. What stopped them then?"
"Our party has always demanded that Veer Savarkar be given the Bharat Ratna. We hope that Mohan Bhagwat will not only remind them but also ensure that it happens," the Shiv Sena (UBT) MP added.
Earlier today, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut also questioned the BJP for not conferring a Bharat Ratna to VD Savarkar, asking Mohan Bhagwat to directly inquire from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
This comes after Mohan Bhagwat, speaking at the Two-Day Lecture Series On '100 Years Of Sangh Journey - New Horizons', said if Savarkar is given Bharat Ratna, then the prestige of the honour will increase. Bhagwat noted that he was not on the decision-making committee but would raise the issue if given the chance.
Meanwhile, BJP MP Shashank Mani Tripathi hailed Savarkar and criticised the Congress for not recognising him.
"Veer Savarkar was a truly great man. He wrote a book on the First War of Independence in our country in 1857. The British imprisoned him for many years in the Cellular Jail and subjected him to the harsh punishment of 'Kala Pani'. The Congress party will never talk about this. Veer Savarkar made a tremendous contribution to the concept of Hindutva and Indian identity, which we talk about today. If we honour such a great man, the entire nation will be honoured," Tripathi said.
However, Rashtiya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha questioned the idea of conferring Bharat Ratna on Savarkar and said, "Is the Bharat Ratna waiting for anyone to validate the pride it holds? Yesterday he talked about Hindus. I asked if the person dying in a sewer is not a Hindu. Discuss these social evils. You are running the government; the rest of everybody is a puppet."
Congress MP Ujjwal Raman Singh asked the Sangh and political circles to discuss the framework for the India-US trade deal and the rupee's value, rather than invoking VD Savarkar.
The Congress leader said, "It can be his personal opinion. Savarkar can be viewed in various time periods, and in one of them, even the Sangh distanced itself from him. There were no discussions about him even after 25 years of his death. They pick a topic, discuss it and then abandon it. Beyond this, the issues of the country should be taken up. It should be discussed how the sovereignty of our country was challenged in the US-India trade deal. No one discusses how the rupee is falling. Such statements are made to divert attention from real issues." (ANI)