Veer Savarkar wrote a letter to British, `begged` to remain their most `obedient` servant: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi showed a paper to the media persons, claiming it was a letter written by Veer Savarkar to the British.

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday (November 17, 2022) again targeted Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and said that he helped the British, adding that he wrote a mercy petition to the then rulers. Addressing a press conference during his Bharat Jodo Yatra in Maharashtra, Gandhi also showed a paper to the media persons, claiming it was a letter written by Veer Savarkar to the British. He reiterated that Savarkar had helped the Britishers.

"I will read the last line, which says 'I beg to remain your most obedient servant' and is signed V D Savarkar," Gandhi said.

Gandhi said he was of the view that Savarkar signed the letter out of fear and in doing so, betrayed Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Pandit Nehru and other leaders of the freedom struggle. 

Earlier last week, during a rally in Washim district organised as part of his 150-day long foot march, Gandhi said Savarkar is a symbol of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

He was jailed in Andaman for two-three years and started writing mercy petitions, the Congress MP had said.

Have 'immense respect' for Veer Savarkar, don't approve of Rahul Gandhi's remarks: Uddhav Thackeray

Meanwhile, former Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday said his party has "immense respect" for VD Savarkar and that he does not approve of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks on the freedom fighter.

His remarks came days after Rahul claimed that Savarkar wrote a book on himself with a different name and highlighted how brave he was. The former Congress president had also said that Savarkar used to take pensions from the British, work for them, and work against the Congress.

"We do not approve of Rahul Gandhi's remarks on Savarkar. We have immense respect and faith for Swatyantra Veer Savarkar and it cannot be erased," Thackeray said. 

He also asked why the Centre has not conferred the Bharat Ratna on Savarkar.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction has an alliance with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party, as part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi.

His son and former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray had participated in the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra last week.