Maha Govt Announces 'Veerbhoomi Parikrama' Between May 21-28 To Honour Savarkar

The Maharashtra government will organise a 'Veerbhoomi Parikrama' from May 21 to 28 to mark the birth anniversary of late Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar, state minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha said on Friday.

The ruling Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress have been engaged in a war of words over Savarkar, mainly due the opposition party's Rahul Gandhi routinely mocking the late Hindutva ideologue for "apologising" to the British to get out of jail.

The ruling Shiv Sena-BJP, which has also attacked former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray for his silence on Gandhi's remarks, had last week said it would organise 'Savarkar Gaurav' yatras across the state.

A grand theme park and a museum will be built in Bhagur in Nashik, where Savarkar was born on May 28, 1883, Lodha said.

"The Veerbhoomi Parikrama will be organised at Nashik, Ratnagiri, Sangli, Pune and Mumbai. The programme will include literature festival, songs and discussion on Savarkar. Nashik was chosen because it is the birthplace of Savarkar and it is where revolutionary organisation Abhinav Bharat was formed," Lodha said.

Ratnagiri has been chosen because Savarkar laid the foundation for Hindu unity by building the Patitpavan Temple there allowing entry to all castes as well as a school for girls, while Sangli has been included as Savarkar's elder brother and freedom fighter Babarao Savarkar died there, he added.

"Pune has been chosen as one of the venues because it is there that Savarkar organised the boycott of foreign goods. Mumbai was chosen because he lived in the city in his final days," the minister added.