Rahul Gandhi targets Savarkar at Wayanad event; says 'A traitor can never be a patriot'

On his 2-day visit to Kerala, ex-Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday, invoked freedom fighter VD Savarkar again - terming him a 'traitor'. Lamenting that BJP h hung Mahatma Gandhi's photo opposite Savarkar's photo at Parliament house, Gandhi said 'a traitor can never be a patriot'. Gandhi said se remarks while inaugurating Chundakara-Arinchermala-Chundakunnu ro under Centre's PMGSY (rural ro development scheme) in Kalpetta.

Rahul Gandhi: 'Savarkar is a traitor'

"We have imposters in power in Delhi. ideology which helped British rule India is now trying to propogate it as ideology of new India. When our leers were in jail fighting British, ir leers were signing agreements with British," he said.

Railing on Savarkar, he ded, "y have a put a picture of Savarkar opposite Mahatma Gandhi in Parliament House. On one side, man who never surrendered to British, who spent years in jail. On or side, is man who said he will never fight British. A patriot can become a traitor, by making a mistake. But a traitor can never be a patriot. That is who Veer Savarkar was. BJP does drama on Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Ambedkar, Subhash Chandra Bose because ir leer was a traitor". 

Rahul Gandhi has often slammed Hindutva ideologue - Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, criticising him for writing mercy pleas to British while being jailed in Andaman during India's freedom movement. Gandhi has often irked Maharashtra parties - NCP & Shiv Sena and BJP with his railing of Savrakar. He h once refused to apologise for his 'Rape in India' comment, asserting he was 'Rahul Gandhi, not Rahul Savarkar' - alluding to Savarkar's alleged apology.

Congress has often clashed with its ideological polar opposite Shiv Sena since formation of Maha Vikas Aghi alliance over issues like Hindutva, CAA, NRC, Ram Janmabhoomi, Savarkar, COVID-19 etc, with NCP playing peacemaker. Congress has often mocked RSS leer referring to mercy petition filed by Savarkar when jailed by British in Andaman jail. Sena, on or hand, has batted for a Bharat Ratna for Savarkar and has said those insulting Savarkar should be jailed.