Team Uddhav's Alliance With Cong to 'Survive Despite Differences', Says Raut; 'No Compromise' on Hindutva, Savarkar

Amid row over MP Rahul Gandhi’s comments criticising Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar, Sanjay Raut, a key figure of Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction, on Tuesday said they have differences with Congress on some issues but their “had to survive despite differences” for the sake of the country. However, the Rajya Sabha MP said his party would never compromise on Hindutva or Veer Savarkar.

“An alliance is always a compromise. There is no difference in our ideology. We left the BJP, not our Hindutva ideology. We may not be in agreement with the Congress on every issue. There are some issues on which the Shiv Sena cannot compromise, and our party is clear on it,” Raut told NDTV when asked about his party’s alliance with Congress and Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi last week stood firm on his remarks on VD Savarkar that the Hindutva ideologue “wrote mercy petitions to the British and accepted pension’ and that he did so because of fear”.

“I am very clear he helped the British… See this. This is the most important document for me. This is the document that comprises Savarkar’s letter to [the] British in which he has stated ‘I beg to remain, sir, your most obedient servant, VD Savarkar,” Rahul Gandhi said on Thursday.

The Wayanad MP went ahead and translated the English lines to Hindi and said, “Sir, main aapka naukar rehna chaahta hoon“. “This is not written by me… but Savarkarji. Let everyone read this document,” he added.

“I am very clear that he helped the British,” he said, brandishing the letter he said Savarkar wrote to the British; sections of which were highlighted in blue.

“Savarkar signed this letter whereas Mahatma Gandhi, pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel were in prison for years… did not write any letter. I believe Savarkarji signed this letter because of fear,” the Congress leader said.

Former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, who heads a faction of the Shiv Sena, had said his party has immense respect for VD Savarkar and he does not approve of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on the freedom fighter.

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