New Delhi: Noting that there had been “deliberate attempts to defame” Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said that it was on Mahatma Gandhi’s request that he wrote mercy petitions to the British.
Speaking at the launch of the book ‘Veer Savarkar: The Man Who Could Have Prevented Partition’, Singh said, “Lies were spread about Savarkar. Time and again, it was said that he filed mercy petitions before the British government seeking his release from jail.”
“It was Mahatma Gandhi who asked him to file mercy petitions,” he added.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Union Ministers Gen VK Singh (retd), Jitendra Singh, Parshottam Rupala and Arjun Ram Meghwal were among those present at the event.
Big gameplan to defame Veer Savarkar was carried out after Independence: RSS chief
Speaking at the book release function, Bhagwat alleged that a big game plan to defame the Sangh Pariwar and Veer Savarkar was carried out after Independence, but it failed. Describing Veer Savarkar as a true nationalist, Mohan Bhagwat said that all his predictions are coming true today.
The RSS chief once again reiterated that the ancestors of all those living in India are the same irrespective of their caste and creed. All the people living in India are Hindus, he said, adding the meaning of Hinduism here is very broad.
Objecting to the use of the word minority, Mohan Bhagwat said that there is no such thing as minority. “We are one, we are the inheritors of the same culture, in spite of differing rituals and languages. No appeasement, and welfare of all. Everyone has rights, so also duties,” he added.
With inputs from agencies