New Delhi: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Thursday reiterated his remarks on Vinayak Damodar Savarkar saying that he helped the British and betrayed leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Sardar Patel.
"Savarkar, in a letter written to the British, said, 'Sir, I beg to remain your most obedient servant' and signed on it. Savarkar helped the British. He betrayed leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Sardar Patel by signing the letter out of fear," he said, as quoted by news agency ANI.
On the other hand, former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, who headed the previous Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP government, expressed disagreement with Rahul saying his party has immense respect for VD Savarkar and he does not approve of Rahul Gandhi's remarks on the freedom fighter, news agency PTI reported.
Superficial Perception That Congress Not Putting Up Fight Against BJP: Rahul Gandhi
Addressing a press conference in Maharashtra, the former Congress President said a superficial perception has been created that the grand old party was not putting up a fight against the ruling BJP.
"Opposition has no control over institutions, judiciary, and media... superficial perception that Congress not putting up a fight against BJP," he said, as reported by PTI.
He further alleged that there was an attempt to divert attention from Bharat Jodo Yatra, when asked if he is the Congress party's Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2024 general elections.
"I see two big problems, youths don't have the assurance of getting jobs and farmers don't get support from anywhere. The third is interlinked, people are paying for education and health as government schools, colleges and hospitals are shutting, so where is the money going?" Rahul Gandhi asked.
Rahul also dared the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government to stop the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
When asked about the impact of the Congress padayatra, he responded by saying, "I am not a soothsayer, I can't predict the future."
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Rahul Gandhi Dismisses Rumours Of Bharat Jodo Yatra Avoiding UP
Notably, Rahul Gandhi was asked about the Yatra allegedly avoiding Uttar Pradesh where the party has weakened in terms of its poll performance. He denied the claim as a rumour, mentioning that it would be their next destination after Delhi. He expressed that he would like to spend more days in the BJP-ruled state, but the party's route plan did not allow for the same.
The rumours came up as Bharat Jodo Yatra was earlier going to enter UP after Rajasthan but the route was changed later.
Actor Riya Sen Joins Bharat Jodo Yatra
Notably, Actor Riya Sen joined the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Maharashtra's Akola district here on Thursday and walked with the political party's leader Rahul Gandhi.
Earlier this month, actor-filmmaker Pooja Bhatt joined the yatra in Hyderabad.
The official handle of the Indian National Congress shared a series of pictures of Sen with Gandhi as they participated in the 71st day of the foot march.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra, a mass contact initiative of the Congress, began on September 7 from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. It entered Maharashtra on November 7 in Nanded district.
On Thursday, the yatra began at 6 am from Patur after a night halt at a ginning pressing factory. It will proceed to Balapur in the evening and reach Shegaon in Buldhana district on Friday morning.
Besides Nanded, it has so far covered Hingoli and Washim districts of the state. The foot march will cover Akola and Buldhana districts of Maharashtra before proceeding to Madhya Pradesh on November 20.
(With Agency Inputs)