NCP Chief Sharad Pawar praises Savarkar, Rahul’ UK speech not important

Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday said Savarkar can not be a national issue today at a time when there are many pressing issued in the country. The comment comes as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi came under fire for his recent ‘I am not Savarkar’ remark amid the controversy over his disqualification from the Lok Sabha. Former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray — Sharad Pawar’s ally in the Maha Vikas Aghadi — expressed displeasure over the comment and Sharad Pawar too earlier told Rahul Gandhi to desist from criticising Savarkar

“Today, Savarkar is not a national issue, it is an old thing. We had said a few things about Savarkar but it was not personal. It was against Hindu Maha Sabha. But there is another side to it as well. We cannot ignore the sacrifice made by Savarkar ji for the independence of the country,” Sharad Pawar said. The NCP supremo said Savarkar’s sacrifice for the country’s independence can not be ignored. Pawar said Savarkar had progressive views and he spoke about it in Parliament many years ago. “Savarkar built a house in Ratnagiri and also constructed a small temple in front of it. “He deputed a person from the Valmiki community to perform puja in the temple. I think this was a very progressive thing,” Pawar said.

In a recent meeting of opposition parties convened by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge following Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification, Sharad Pawar reportedly told Rahul Gandhi that Savarkar was not RSS. The Congress agreed to tone down its attack on Savarkar not to hurt the sentiments of its allies in Maharashtra.

On Rahul Gandhi’s UK speech for which the BJP demanded an apology from the Congress leader, Sharad Pawar said, “I don’t think that this (Rahul Gandhi’s London speech) issue is that much important because it is not that the criticism is being done today only. In the past also leaders have criticised the government. Only now such issues are being brought up repeatedly. If people have problems over any issue in the country and if someone talks about them, then those issues should be addressed.”