Amid Savarkar row, Raut praises Rahul for enquiring about health
Amid the row that broke out over Rahul Gandhi’s comments attacking Veer Savarkar, Sanjay Raut, a leader in Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction, tweeted on Monday (November 21) that though Rahul was busy with the Bharat Jodo Yatra, he had called him and enquired about his health, saying they were worried about him.
“It is only human to feel sad that a political ally was framed in a false case and tortured for 110 days in jail,” Sanjay Raut tweeted in Marathi.
Raut then followed it up with a longer post in English. This move signals that all is well between the Congress and the Shiv Sena and the MVA alliance.
Further, Raut tweeted that despite strong differences of opinion on some issues, inquiring on your political colleague is a “sign of humanity”. “In times of political bitterness, such gestures are becoming rare,” he pointed out, adding that Rahulji is focusing on love and compassion in his yatra and hence it is getting a massive response.
— Sanjay Raut (@rautsanjay61) November 21, 2022
Also read: Maharashtra: MVA alliance on the brink after Rahul’s Savarkar remark?
The Sena leader’s public tweet means that there will be no fallout over Rahul’s comments about Veer Savarkar – a Hindutva icon on the Congress and Uddhav Thackeray’s Maharashtra coalition.
Last week, Rahul Gandhi, on his Maharashtra leg of his Bharat Jodo Yatra, criticised Veer Savarkar for seeking mercy from the British while he was in jail. He also accused him of betraying leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel by appealing to the British.
This sparked a lot of anger in the Uddhav Thackeray camp which said his party had “immense respect” for Savarkar. Moreover, Sanjay Raut had earlier told the media that the Savarkar’s issue is very important for them and they believe in his ideology. “They (Congress) shouldn’t have brought this issue up,” he said.
Also read: ‘Am not Rahul Savarkar, will never apologise for speaking truth’
Sena MP Arvind Sawant too criticised Rahul Gandhi for his comments and said that Sanjay Raut had made a statement saying they may not continue in the MVA (Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition). “That’s a serious reaction from the party,” he added, suggesting that Uddhav Thackeray “would make a statement” soon.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh intervened and said Rahul Gandhi was only stating a historical fact. And said that he had spoken to Sanjay Raut and they had agreed to disagree. Raut had also clarified this incident will not weaken Maha Vikas Aghadi, said Ramesh.
