Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, while addressing a mega rally in Delhi on Saturday, rejected outright the BJP's demand for apology for his 'rape in India' remark, saying 'my name is not Rahul Savarkar'. However, his sarcastic reference to the Hindutva ideologue didn't go down well with the Shiv Sena, the Congress' new-found ally in Maharahstra.
"Veer Savarkar is an idol of whole country and not just Maharashtra. The name Savarkar denotes pride about nation and self. Like Nehru and Gandhi, Savarkar too sacrificed his life for the country. Every such idol must be revered. There is no compromise on this," Sena leader Sanjay Raut tweeted.
"We respect Gandhi and Nehru. You should not insult Savarkar. Enough said," he tweeted further.
Earlier, addressing the "Bharat Bachao Rally", Rahul said he "will die but never apologise" for speaking the "truth", and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his "assistant" Amit Shah to apologise for "destroying" the economy of the country.
“My name is not Rahul Savarkar, it is Rahul Gandhi, and I will never apologise for speaking the truth," he said, in an apparent reference to the allegation that Savarkar had tendered apology to the British for securing early release from the Cellular Jail in Andaman.
The BJP had demanded Rahul's apology after the Congress leader, while attacking the Modi Government over the issue of crimes against women, said at an election rally in Jharkhand that instead of 'Make in India', it was nowadays "rape in India" in the country.
After Sena's warning to Rahul against his reference to Savarkar, the BJP, too, attacked him, saying a "more appropriate" name for the Congress leader is "Rahul Jinnah" as his "Muslim appeasement" politics makes him a worthy legatee of the Pakistan's founder.
Another party spokesperson Sambit Patra said Rahul can never be 'Rahul Savarkar' as Savarkar stood for "patriotism, bravery and sacrifice", while the Congress leader is somebody who spoke in Pakistan's language on issues like the citizenship bill, Article 370 and surgical strikes.
During the campaign for the Maharashtra Assembly elections, too, the Sena had criticised Rahul for his comments against Savarkar.
Sena formed an alliance with the Congress and the NCP to form government in the state after the Uddhav Thackeray's party fell out with the BJP over the chief minister post.
