What do Sonia, Rahul Gandhi know about Savarkar? asks Vikram Gokhale

Veteran actor Vikram Gokhale came down heavily on the Congress leadership on Wednesday on their stand on freedom fighter and Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, asking what did they know about him.

Gokhale was speaking at a press conference at the ongoing Pune International Film Festival.

Recently, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had kicked up a controversy with his statement that his name was not "Rahul Savarkar" and hence he would not seek apology over his "Rape in India" remark.

Asked about the Congress leaders' views about the Hindutva ideologue, Gokhale said, "Sonia Gandhi doesn't have any right to speak about Savarkar. What does she know about Savarkar? What has she read about Savarkar? I just don't care for her. Rahul Gandhi, what he knows about Savarkar?"

Gokhale, however, praised NCP president Sharad Pawar.

He was asked about the criticism of a book by a BJP leader which compares prime minister Narendra Modi to warrior king Shivaji, and a counter by the BJP that Pawar's followers also call him "Janata Raja" (enlightened king), an epithet originally applied to Shivaji.

"From what I know about Pawar, he would never ask anybody to call him Janata Raja. He is a visionary leader. He is the only visionary leader in the NCP," Gokhale said.