New Delhi, May 27 (PTI) Union minister Giriraj Singh slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for often making scathing remarks against VD Savarkar, saying that his grandmother Indira Gandhi, the former prime minister, had honoured the Hindutva ideologue and even released a postal stamp in his name.
Savarkar was a “great soul who lived for the country”, Singh said, addressing an event organised on the eve of the leader’s birth anniversary.
The minister appealed to people to follow in Savarkar’s footsteps and “never let the nation die”.
“I see dead people debating on TV who speak against the country and criticise Savarkar ji…I want to tell Rahul Gandhi and Congressmen that you may abuse him but your grandmother had honoured him in the 70s, released a postal stamp in his name,” he said.
Singh said the concept of ‘rashtra’ (nation) is different from the concept of ‘desh’ (country).
“A country is a living geographical fortress, but ‘rashtra’ is an emotion,” he said, adding, “Israel did not exist for some period in the past, but the nation never died in the hearts and minds of Israelis.” Singh said Prime Minister Minister Narendra Modi has talked about castes, women, social harmony and various other things but he has always kept the “rashtra” at the centre.
“Even if there is a caste census, there is social concern about castes, but national concern should never be forgotten,” he added.
Speaking on the occasion, former BJP national secretary Sunil Deodhar also slammed Gandhi for his remarks about the Hindutva ideologue. Savarkar “never apologised” to the British, Deodhar said.
He described Gandhi as a “super foolish person” and alleged that he was making “false” claims about Savarkar only to defame him.
“There is a super foolish person whose name is Rahul Gandhi. He, however, is Narendra Modi’s insurance as well. Narendra Modi is not going anywhere,” Deodhar said. PTI PK PK SKY SKY
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