New Delhi: Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi and a large number of the BJP leaders paid homage to freedom fighter and Hindutva philosopher Vinayak Damodar Savarkar on his 136th birth anniversary.
Venkaiah Naidu tweeted saying the “nation will always remember the sacrifices made by him during the freedom struggle.”
In a tweet, Modi remembered him: “Veer Savarkar epitomizes courage, patriotism and unflinching commitment to a strong India. He inspired many people to devote themselves towards nation building.”
There were, however, murmurs in the BJP headquarters for the limited tributes on the social media and not holding a grand function in honour of the leader. Some BJP leaders turned up to place flowers at Savarkar”s portrait put up in 2003 in Parliament”s Central Hall, but there was no official function alike in the past.
The Hindu Mahasabha, founded by Savarkar, that has withered to be a small party has a year ago on his birth anniversary sought not only the Bharat Ratna title to him but also replacing the picture of Mahatma Gandhi on the Indian currency with that of Savarkar, claiming it shall be tribute to the late leader who was held captive by the Britishers in the infamous Cellular Jail (”Kaala Paani”) in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
