'No family as brave as Savarkar's in entire country': Amit Shah tears into Congress

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Congress party for attacking Veer Savarkar. He said the 'Veer' title was given to Savarkar by not any government, but 140 crore people of the country. Highlighting Savarkar's sacrifice, Shah said from 1857 to 1947, if there was anyone who was sentenced to life imprisonment twice in a single lifetime, it was Veer Savarkar. 

"If anyone had the courage to leap into the ocean for the country’s freedom, it was Veer Savarkar. In the same prison, two brothers served the sentence of kaala paani (cellular confinement). For 10 years, the two brothers did not even see each other. There is no other such brave family in the entire country," he said while speaking in the Rajya Sabha. 

"Can patriotism ever be tied to an ideology? Can sacrifices for the nation be associated with any religion? To what depths have we taken public life in our country?" he thundered. 

The Home Minister then cited former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's praise for Savarkar. "You (Congress) may not listen to us, but at least listen to Indira Gandhi. In 1966, Indira Gandhi said that Savarkar was a great man. His name became synonymous with courage and patriotism...a great revolutionary who inspired countless people."

On another ocassion, Indira wrote to Bakhle: "Aap ka patra mujhe mila. Veer Savarkar dwara British Sarkar ke prati saahsi pratirodh ka hamare swantarta sangram ke itihaas me apna ek matahatvapurna sthaan hai. Main Bharat ke iss aasadharan putra ki janm-shatabdi ke liye koti koti shubhkaamnaye deti hun (I received your letter. Veer Savarkar’s courageous resistance to the British government holds an important place in the history of our freedom struggle. I extend my heartfelt best wishes on the centenary of this extraordinary son of India)."

Amit Shah's counter comes just days after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi targeted Savarkar, saying the latter did not believe in the Constitution. Gandhi also said that once Indira Gandhi had told him that Savarkar had compromised with the British. "Savarkar wrote a letter to the British and asked for forgiveness from the British," he said. "Indira ji also said that Gandhiji went to jail, Nehru ji went to jail and Savarkar apologised."