<p>RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday slammed the critics of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, saying the freedom fighter was defamed as part of an organised campaign after Independence.</p>.<p>Bhagwat said those critical of Savarkar will have Swami Vivekananda, Dayanand Saraswati and Swami Aurobindo as their next targets.</p>.<p>“The target of these critics is not the individual, but the ideology of 'dharma' that defines India's cultural history. Our definition of 'dharma' (religion) is a principle that unites,” Bhagwat said.</p>.<p><strong>Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/national-politics/mohan-bhagwat-praises-pm-modi-says-indias-security-policy-got-priority-only-after-2014-1040000.html">Mohan Bhagwat praises PM Modi, says India's security policy got priority only after 2014</a></strong></p>.<p>“Our method of worship is different, but the ancestors are the same. They are very patriotic. Those who went to Pakistan during partition, did not get respect there,” he said.</p>.<p>He was speaking after releasing the book ‘Veer Savarkar: The Man Who Could Have Prevented Partition’ authored by Information Commissioner Uday Mahurkar and Chirayu Pandit.</p>.<p>The RSS supremo said Savarkar had referred to the first war of Independence in 1857 and a united fight of the saffron flag of Hindus and the star crescent of Muslims against the British.</p>.<p>“Our two biggest setbacks in that period were the failure to maintain this Hindu-Muslim unity and joining the Khilafat movement,” Bhagwat said.</p>.<p>Earlier, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh accused Savarkar's detractors of “spreading lies” about the mercy petitions filed by him with the British government.</p>.<p>“His detractors fail to realise that Savarkar had filed the mercy petitions at the advice of Mahatma Gandhi. He did so as his right as a prisoner and not as a stooge of the British government as is made out to be,” Singh said.</p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos here:</strong></p>
<p>RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday slammed the critics of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, saying the freedom fighter was defamed as part of an organised campaign after Independence.</p>.<p>Bhagwat said those critical of Savarkar will have Swami Vivekananda, Dayanand Saraswati and Swami Aurobindo as their next targets.</p>.<p>“The target of these critics is not the individual, but the ideology of 'dharma' that defines India's cultural history. Our definition of 'dharma' (religion) is a principle that unites,” Bhagwat said.</p>.<p><strong>Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/national-politics/mohan-bhagwat-praises-pm-modi-says-indias-security-policy-got-priority-only-after-2014-1040000.html">Mohan Bhagwat praises PM Modi, says India's security policy got priority only after 2014</a></strong></p>.<p>“Our method of worship is different, but the ancestors are the same. They are very patriotic. Those who went to Pakistan during partition, did not get respect there,” he said.</p>.<p>He was speaking after releasing the book ‘Veer Savarkar: The Man Who Could Have Prevented Partition’ authored by Information Commissioner Uday Mahurkar and Chirayu Pandit.</p>.<p>The RSS supremo said Savarkar had referred to the first war of Independence in 1857 and a united fight of the saffron flag of Hindus and the star crescent of Muslims against the British.</p>.<p>“Our two biggest setbacks in that period were the failure to maintain this Hindu-Muslim unity and joining the Khilafat movement,” Bhagwat said.</p>.<p>Earlier, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh accused Savarkar's detractors of “spreading lies” about the mercy petitions filed by him with the British government.</p>.<p>“His detractors fail to realise that Savarkar had filed the mercy petitions at the advice of Mahatma Gandhi. He did so as his right as a prisoner and not as a stooge of the British government as is made out to be,” Singh said.</p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos here:</strong></p>
