Manish Tewari slams 'Bharat Ratna for Savarkar' pitch, invokes Godse

Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) and Indian National Congress leader Manish Tewari on Wednesday criticised the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for bringing up the name of Veer Savarkar for Bharat Ratna in the party’s manifesto for the upcoming Maharashtra elections and further hit out by adding that the NDA should straightaway confer Nathuram Godse with the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian honour. 

READ| BJP Seeks Bharat Ratna For Veer Savarkar In Maharashtra Manifesto

'NDA government should straightaway confer the Bharat Ratna to Godse' 

Tewari addressing reporters in Nagpur, Maharashtra stated, "Savarkar was only accused of conspiring to assassinate Gandhi, whereas Nathuram Godse carried out the assassination of Gandhi. This year we are celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, on this occasion, the NDA government should straightaway confer the Bharat Ratna to Godse instead of Savarkar.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Congress leader Raashid Alvi had also lashed out at BJP for proposing to confer Bharat Ratna on Savarkar and had said that Nathuram Godse's name could be next in line.

"Everyone knows the history of Savarkar. Savarkar was accused of murdering Gandhi, he was released due to lack of evidence. Today, this government is saying that they will give Bharat Ratna to Savarkar, I am afraid the next in line could be Godse in this chain," Alvi said.

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A major poll promise made 

Recently, BJP Working President JP Nadda and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis released the party's manifesto for the upcoming assembly elections in the state. In the manifesto they made a major poll promise wherein they made a pitch for honouring Swatantraveer Savarakar with the Bharat Ratna - the highest civilian honour awarded to Indians, as mentioned in its Maharashtra manifesto. The party also pushed for Bharat Ratna for educational reformers Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule. BJP released its poll manifesto ahead of the Oct 21 poll date in the presence of CM Devendra Fadnavis and party working president J P Nadda in Mumbai. The Manifesto is titled - 'Sampanna, Samruddha, Samarth Maharashtra.'

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The formulator of 'Hindutva philosophy'

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar who is also known as Veer Savarkar was an Indian Independence fighter, politician, lawyer and the formulator of 'Hindutva' philosophy. He founded the Abhinav Bharat Society, which wrote extensively on the Indian Independence movement. He was later arrested and sentenced for revolutionary activities to two life terms of imprisonment totalling fifty years and was moved to the Cellular Jail in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He was later released in 1921.

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(INPUTS FROM ANI)