New Delhi’s political corridors are buzzing with controversy following RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s recent call to bestow the Bharat Ratna on Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. The proposal has ignited a fierce debate, drawing sharp rebukes from opposition leaders who view it as a distortion of India’s freedom struggle history.
CPI(M) MP John Britas led the charge, labeling the idea as a ‘tragic chapter’ in India’s narrative. He argued that Savarkar is remembered more for his mercy petitions to British colonial rulers than for any heroic role in the independence movement. ‘Savarkar symbolizes hate politics, partition rhetoric, and societal polarization,’ Britas stated emphatically. Awarding him the nation’s highest civilian honor, he warned, would be a grave injustice to true freedom fighters.
Echoing this sentiment, Samajwadi Party MP Ramji Lal Suman questioned the logic behind honoring those who sought clemency from oppressors. ‘If begging for mercy becomes a criterion for Bharat Ratna, we’ll have to honor every collaborator,’ he remarked. Suman challenged the moral lesson this would impart to future generations: ‘Do we want our children to learn that surrender trumps struggle in the face of tyranny?’ He predicted widespread public rejection of such a move.
The controversy spilled over into broader political jabs. Suman took aim at AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi’s provocative statements on Uttar Pradesh, mocking his ‘Yogi ji, main aa raha hoon’ boast. ‘He should say, Yogi ji, mujhe bhejha ja raha hai, mera dhyan rakhna,’ Suman quipped, implying Owaisi’s overconfidence.
Suman also dismissed AIMIM’s Uttar Pradesh chief’s remark about a burqa-clad woman becoming chief minister. ‘First, focus on becoming an MLA yourself before dreaming of the top job,’ he advised, underscoring the party’s electoral irrelevance in the state.
As the demand gains traction among certain quarters, it underscores deep divisions over Savarkar’s legacy. While proponents hail him as a visionary patriot, critics see him as a divisive figure whose actions undermined the anti-colonial fight. This clash of ideologies promises to dominate headlines, testing the government’s stance on national honors amid election-season sensitivities.