Mani Shankar Aiyar's remarks on Savarkar baseless: Grandson

A kin of Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar today slammed suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar for his reported remarks that the Hindu Mahasabha leader was the first proponent of the two-nation theory.

Ranjit Savarkar, grandson of V D Savarkar, said Aiyar's remarks were baseless as the late freedom fighter never accepted the two-nation theory, which led to the creation of Pakistan in 1947.

"Earlier, we thought that Aiyar has lost his mental balance. But now we think he is making such statements deliberately," Ranjit Savarkar said here.

"Those who have studied Savarkar's literature know that he never accepted the two-nation theory," Ranjit Savarkar, working president of the Swatantryaveer Savarkar Rashtriya Smarak here, said.

At an event in Lahore, Aiyar had reportedly said V D Savarkar was the first proponent of the two-nation theory and invented the term "Hindutva" to create religious divide in the society.

The former Union minister's remarks come at time when Pakistan founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah's portrait at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has sparked a huge row.

"Situation in India is an abhorrent one. In 1923, a man called V D Savarkar in his book invented a word which doesn't exist in any religious text, 'Hindutva'," Aiyar had said.

"So, first proponent of the two-nation theory was ideological guru of those who are currently in power in India," Aiyar had said.