The many times Indira Gandhi recognised the valiant efforts of Veer Savarkar

New Delhi, Nov 23: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has on many occasions attacked Vinayak Damodar Savarkar or Veer Savarkar. His party today finds itself in a spot of bother.

Rahul Gandhi is known to make comments such as these. The BJP and even the Uddhav Thackeray led Shiv Sena of which the Congress is an ally in Maharashtra has criticised the statement.

The BJP in particular has reminded Rahul Gandhi about the letter his grandmother had written in which she praises Savarkar.

What does the letter say:

In a letter dated May 20 1980, Indira Gandhi she had responded to a letter written by Pandit Bakhle, secretary of the Swatnatray veer Savarkar Rashtriya Smarak in which he had spoke about the plans to celebrate the birth centenary of Savarkar.

"I have received your letter of 8th May 1980. Veer Savarkar's daring defiance of the British Government has its own importance in the annals of our Freedom movement. I wish success to the plans to celebrate the birth centenary of the remarkable son of India," Indira Gandhi had written.

Confirmation:

Well known author, Vaibhav Purandare who has written a book on Savarkar, "The true story of the father of Hindutva said that the letter written by Indira Gandhi was authentic.

Not just the letter, Indira Gandhi had also condoled the death of Savarkar in 19666. She also released a statement praising Savarkar as a revolutionary who had inspired many in the country, Purandare had also said.

More recognitions:

In an interview with India Today, historian Vikram Sampath had said that Indira Gandhi had got a stamp issued in Savarkar's honour following his death in 1966. She also got a documentary film on Savarkar made through the government's Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

She even gave a personal grant to the Savarkar Memorial in Mumbai, Sampath also said in the interview.

History and Savarkar have become a casualty in the political slugfest he added. On the controversy around the two-nation theory, Sampath said that this was founded even before Savarkar was born. In the year 1876, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan first talked about putting Hindus and Muslims in separate nations. Savarkar was born in 1883.