HOME   
   NEWS   
   BUSINESS   
   CRICKET   
   SPORTS   
   MOVIES   
   NET GUIDE   
   SHOPPING   
   BLOGS  
   ASTROLOGY  
   MATCHMAKER  


Search:



The Web

Rediff








News
Capital Buzz
Commentary
Dear Rediff
Diary
Elections
Interviews
Rediff Poll
Specials
Gallery
The States



Home > News > PTI

Savarkar portrait creates controversy

February 25, 2003 20:47 IST

Non-Congress opposition parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party ally the Bahujan Samaj Party, on Tuesday asked President A P J Abdul Kalam to reconsider his decision to attend the unveiling of Hindu Mahasabha leader Veer Savarkar in the Central Hall of Parliament on Wednesday.

In a letter to Kalam, the leaders of the political parties including the Left said all opposition parties have decided not to associate themselves with the function which will 'give credibility' to the activities and 'divisive policies' of Savarkar.

Leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha Sonia Gandhi has already written to Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi against the unveiling of the portrait and may be writing to the President as well.

"It will be a great tragedy if the Central Hall is utilised for installing the portrait of Savarkar, who was not only accused in the Mahatma Gandhi assassination case, but supported the two-nation theory of Jinnah and contended that the Hindus are a nation and that India should be a Hindu Rashtra and who had submitted a mercy peition to the British authorities pledging loyalty to the British Raj," it said.

The leaders said their parties' dissociation was on principle and should not be treated as personal disrespect to the President.



© Copyright 2003 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.






Article Tools

Email this Article

Printer-Friendly Format

Letter to the Editor



Related Stories


'Abide by SC ruling on Ayodhya'

Kelkar plan roadmap to tax system



People Who Read This Also Read


Three days to B-day

EC indicts Jaya for pre-poll sops

DC's office stormed in Nagaland







HOME   
   NEWS   
   BUSINESS   
   CRICKET   
   SPORTS   
   MOVIES   
   NET GUIDE   
   SHOPPING   
   BLOGS  
   ASTROLOGY  
   MATCHMAKER  
Copyright © 2003 rediff.com India Limited. All Rights Reserved.