Digvijaya Singh to BJP: Savarkar named in Gandhi's murder conspiracy

Digvijaya Singh

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Hitting out at the BJP for proposing Veer Savarkar's name for the Bharat Ratna, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said that the Centre shall not forget that Savarkar's name was registered in a conspiracy behind Mahatma Gandhi's murder.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, the former chief minister said, "Savarkar's life had two aspects. First his participation in the independence struggle and when he came back after seeking an apology (to the British). BJP shall not forget that his name was registered in a conspiracy behind Mahatma Gandhi's murder."

The manifesto released by the BJP for Maharashtra elections had a page on Bharat Ratna awards in which the party proposed the names of Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, Savitribai Phule and Veer Savarkar for the country's highest civilian award. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his election rally in Akola, had hailed Savarkar and said that it is because of his values that nationalism has been put at the core of nation-building.

On being asked about Prime Minister's statement that 'Congress is breathing its last due to nepotism' Singh remarked, "Nepotism is in every party. It has even come to (cricket) control board now. He has not said this for the first time."

Singh made the remark in reference to Home Minister Amit Shah's son Jay Shah, who is set to become the secretary of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

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