Rahul Gandhi, Congress should apologise for derogatory remarks against Savarkar: BJP's Ram Kadam

Mumbai, April 25 (IANS) BJP MLA Ram Kadam on Friday demanded an apology from the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party for making derogatory remarks against freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.

His remarks came in response to the Supreme Court’s stern warning to Rahul Gandhi over his past comments, as it stayed a trial court summons in the case. A bench of Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Manmohan warned the Congress leader from making further derogatory remarks against Savarkar, noting he is "worshipped" in Maharashtra.

Speaking to IANS, Ram Kadam said, “Veer Savarkar dedicated his entire life to Maa Bharti (India). He endured immense hardships and made countless sacrifices for the nation. Despite this, Rahul Gandhi repeatedly used derogatory language against him just to appease a particular section of society. He has insulted Savarkar multiple times. If Rahul Gandhi were to spend even one day in the kind of prison Savarkar endured, he might understand the pain and suffering Savarkar went through.”

The BJP leader continued, “Now that the judiciary has made its stance clear, it is a strong reprimand to Rahul Gandhi’s ego. We expect him to respect the judiciary and the sentiments of the nation. He and his party should apologise to the entire country with folded hands.”

When asked whether the court’s warning would lead Gandhi to change his stance, Kadam responded, “This will show how much respect he has for the Constitution. The judiciary operates under the Constitution. If he still refuses to acknowledge it, then it will be seen as an insult to Babasaheb Ambedkar, the Constitution he authored, and the judiciary itself.”

Kadam reiterated that both Rahul Gandhi and the Congress must apologise for repeatedly disrespecting Veer Savarkar.

"Rahul Gandhi should get down on his knees and seek forgiveness from the country. Every Indian who respects Savarkar is hurt by his words,” he added.

Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent statement in Bihar, where he pledged to pursue terrorists to the “ends of the Earth”, Kadam said, “We have already taught Pakistan a lesson twice. This government enters their territory and strikes back. This is not the Congress government that stays silent. What happened in Pahalgam was tragic. The whole nation is grieving. Those responsible will be punished, and we stand united behind Modi ji’s strong leadership.”

Kadam also took a swipe at Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray for skipping the recent all-party meeting after the Pahalgam terror attack.

“If Uddhav Thackeray’s group did not attend, should we assume they support the terror attack? Whose side are they on? Is he the spokesperson of Pakistan? During his tenure as Chief Minister, Uddhav never stepped out of his house. He’s the emperor of laziness. But at a time of national mourning, when all parties are standing together, his absence speaks volumes. He should have at least thought of the families from Maharashtra who lost their lives," he concluded.

--IANS

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