Not against Savarkar but the Hindutva ideology he stood for: Manmohan Singh

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh said that the Congress party is not against Veer Savarkar, but it does not favour the Hindutva ideology that he patronised.

When asked about Savarkar, Singh said that former prime minister Indira Gandhi had issued a postal stamp commemorating him.

"We are not against Savarkar, but the question is we are not in favour of the Hindutva ideology that Savarkar ji patronised and stood for," Singh said.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) working president JP Nadda and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had recently released the party's manifesto for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.

The manifesto, among other things, had a page on Bharat Ratna awards in which the party has proposed the names of Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, Savitribai Phule and Veer Savarkar for the country's highest civilian award.

Meanwhile, talking about the issue related to former Union Minister Praful Patel, Singh said, "The rule in our country is that a person is innocent till he is proven guilty. So, I sincerely hope that political vendettas will not be used to settle scores with politicians of different hues."

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Patel in connection with a money-laundering probe linked to the alleged illegal assets of late Iqbal Mirchi, an aide of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, officials said on Tuesday.

Patel, a former Union minister in the UPA regime, has been asked to depose in Mumbai on October 18.

The ED is expected to record Patel's statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in connection with a deal between wife of Mirchi and a real estate company promoted by Patel.