Speaker rejects BJP's demand of resolution on Veer Savarkar

In a sign of bonding among the Maha Vikas Aghadi partners in Maharashtra, Speaker Nana Patole on Wednesday rejected the BJP's demand for a resolution to honour revolutionary freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, popularly known as Veer Savarkar.

Wednesday marked the 54th death anniversary of Veer Savarkar, the Right-wing icon, who propagated the philosophy of Hindutva.

Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, demanded that the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government introduce a resolution for Savarkar's sacrifices and contribution to India's Independence movement.

Chief Minister and Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray was not present inside the House at that point of time. "The government should move a resolution on Veer Savarkar to honour him," Fadnavis said.

However, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar of the NCP, turned tables, and targetted the BJP.

Pawar said that Fadnavis, while he was Chief Minister, had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 20 August, 2018 and 17 January, 2019, urging Centre to honour Veer Savarkar with Bharat Ratna.

"When the BJP was in power in Maharashtra and in the Centre, why was there a delay?" he asked.

"Modi is in power in Centre for six years now while Fadnavis was in the state for five years...like today, Savarkar's birth anniversary falls every year," he said.

Patole, who is from the Congress, however, rejected the demand of BJP, that it has placed a fortnight ago during the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting. Thackeray had then stated that it would be the call of Speaker.

After Patole rejected the demand, he rushed through business of the day even as BJP members trooped in the Well, held parallel proceedings to honour Veer Savarkar and left the House.

In fact, after Shiv Sena walked out of its 30-year-alliance with BJP and joined hands with NCP-Congress, it was an ideological shift. Thackeray in the past had demanded Bharat Ratna for Savarkar several times.

But, Congress and its leaders including Rahul Gandhi had been repeatedly targetting Veer Savarkar. NCP, on the other hand, has always adopted a cautionary approach.