BJP asks Sena to choose between power and Savarkar

BJP spokesman Shahnawaz Hussain on Sunday said the country will never forgive Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for insulting Veer Savarkar and asked the Shiv Sena to choose between power and the freedom fighter.

Talking to reporters here, Hussain, in a stinging attack on the Congress leader, said there can be no comparison between Savarkar and Gandhi, who has a "borrowed" surname.

"Just tweeting a protest against Gandhi's insult of Savarkar will not do. (Shiv Sena president) Uddhav Thackeray has to take a stand onwhether he wants to share power with the Congress which has insulted the national icon and freedom fighter," he said.

Addressing the Congress' mega 'Bharat Bachao Rally' in Delhi on Saturday, Rahul Gandhi rejected the BJP's demand for apology over his "rape in India" barb, and added that his name was Rahul Gandhi, not "Rahul Savarkar", and he will never apologise for speaking the truth.

Reacting to Rahul Gandhi's remark mentioning Savarkar, Shiv Sena's Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut on Saturday in a tweet said there could not be any "compromise" about reverence for the Hindutva ideologue.

Accusing the Congress of insulting nationalists and freedom fighters, Hussain said the people taught a lesson to the Sonia Gandhi-led party twice and it was not even able to claim the leader of opposition's post in the Lok Sabha.

"Veer Savarkar was given two terms of life sentence. To become Savarkar, you need to do lot of hard work. There can't be even one micron comparison between Savarkar and Rahul, who has a borrowed surname," he alleged.

Hussain said there is anger across the country against Rahul Gandhi over his insulting comments on the revolutionary freedom fighter.

"The Shiv Sena has to choose between the government and Savarkar. The party has to clarify," he said.

The former Union minister further criticised the Congress over its opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, and accused the party of "misleading" the people, specially minorities.

"The bill, which has been passed by Parliament, seeks to give citizenship to religious minorities facing persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan and who had taken refuge here since they don't have religious freedom.

"Indian citizens need not fear. The new amended Act isnot taking away the citizenship of Indians, including Muslims," he said.

Hussain said all parties in the north-eastern states supported the bill in Parliament, but the Congress was "misleading" people there.

"But, the situation isnow normalising. The opposition party is deliberately misleading the minorities," he alleged.

The contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was approved by the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha recently, and became an Act after President Ram Nath Kovind gave assent to it on Thursday night.

The Act paves the way for granting Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who have migrated after facing religious persecution in their respective country.

There have been violent protests in some north-eastern states of the country and the Jamia Millia Islamia university in New Delhi against the amended Citizenship Act.