"What does this thinking reflect?": Congress' Bhai Jagtap questions RSS chief's Bharat Ratna demand for Veer Savarkar

New Delhi [India], February 10 (ANI): Congress leader Bhai Jagtap on Monday questioned Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat's demand to confer the Bharat Ratna on Veer Savarkar, highlighting the significance of the award and Savarkar's controversial legacy.
Speaking to ANI, Jagtap said the Bharat Ratna is the country's highest honour, given to those who contributed to the freedom struggle and nation-building, but Veer Savarkar, while jailed in the Andaman Islands, had written letters to the British seeking clemency.
"I have said this before, and I am saying it again that the highest honour in this country of 140 crore people is the Bharat Ratna, and many people have been awarded the Bharat Ratna, especially those who contributed to the freedom struggle, the progress of this country, and its constitution. The Bharat Ratna is the greatest honour in itself. There is nothing greater than it... Veer Savarkar, in 1911, 1914, and 1919, when he was in jail in the Andaman Islands, wrote letters to the British seeking clemency," he said.
Jagtap further said that RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat is influential, but questioned who could be greater than a Bharat Ratna recipient, calling such thinking concerning.
"Mohan Bhagwat is a very important figure. He is the head of the RSS, so his thinking is significant. So, you should ask him: who can be greater than the recipient of the Bharat Ratna, which is the highest honour in this country? What does this thinking reflect?" he asked.
Meanwhile, Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday addressed questions over the delay in conferring the Bharat Ratna on Veer Savarkar, saying if Savarkar is given Bharat Ratna, then the prestige of the honour will increase.
Speaking at the Two-Day Lecture Series On '100 Years Of Sangh Journey - New Horizons' on Sunday, Bhagwat said that he was not on the decision-making committee but would raise the issue if given the chance.
"I'm not on that committee, but if I meet someone who is, I'll ask them. If Swatantra Veer Savarkar is given Bharat Ratna, the prestige of Bharat Ratna will increase. Even without that prestige, he has become the emperor of millions of hearts," he said.
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, popularly known as Veer Savarkar, was born on May 28, 1883, and was a poet, writer, and social reformer. He was incarcerated at the Cellular Jail in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands by the British regime, where he endured immense hardship with unwavering resolve.
Savarkar was also a leading figure in the 'Hindu Mahasabha.' Savarkar started participating in the freedom movement while still a high school student and continued doing so while attending Fergusson College in Pune.
He got active with groups like India House and the Free India Society while studying law in the United Kingdom. He also published books that promoted revolutionary methods for achieving total Indian independence. (ANI)