Bengaluru, Dec 8 (Representative) BJP leader CT Ravi on Friday termed Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge’s thoughts on Veer Savarkar as a series of rants by Leftist historians who scripted fake history to suit the narrative of Congress. “All you have shared here is your thoughts that are like a series of rants by Leftist historians Irfan Habib and Romila Thapar who scripted fake history to suit the narrative by Congress,” he Xed. Ravi challenged Priyank to have a live debate in Cellular Jail, instead of submitting his thoughts on Savarkar on X. “Instead of posting here on X, let us have a live debate in Cellular Jail so that the whole World can see the truth. Let our younger generations know the real truth about Nehru and Veer Savarkar,” he said. “Oh, by the way my Thamma, I will definitely answer all your questions regarding the great Nationalist Veer Savarkar during this debate,” he said. Ravi also asked Priyank to enlighten him about how Jawaharlal Nehru became the first Prime Minister of India when 12 of the 15 Pradesh Congress Committee Presidents chose Sardar Patel to lead Bharat after gaining freedom from the British. “My offer still remains.
Please join me at the Cellular Jail in Andaman & Nicobar Islands and let us debate whether Nehru was a true freedom fighter or Veer Savarkar was one. I hope you are not afraid to debate with me about Nehru and Veer Savarkar,” he said. Ravi made these comments reacting to Priyank asking the BJP to answer his questions about Savarkar who took pension from the British and who gave the totle of Veer to Savarkar. “Who gave the title Veer to Veer Savarkar? There is no clarity on it. If they (BJP) know, let them tell – whether Savarkar was taking pension from the British or not? Did he write an apology letter (to the British) five to six times or not? Did his family write an apology letter or not?” he asked. “When Subhas Chandra Bose was organising the Indian National Army – did he not go against him and influence the people to join the British Army or not? What was his opinion on Gau Mata? Let BJP answer these simple questions,” Priyank asked. The Minister also had advocated removal of Savarkar’s portrait from the state assembly as his ideology promotes hatred and division. The rumour of removing Savarkar’s portrait sparked after Karnataka Speaker UT Khader said talks were in progress about installing Nehru’s portrait in the assembly chamber. However, Khader said there is no such proposal to remove Savarkar’s portrait on the sidelines of the ongoing winter session.
“I am unaware of the issue. There is no such proposal,” he said, in response to the rumours of removing Savarakr’s portrait and replacing it with Jawaharlal Nehru’s. Asked what he would do if such a proposal is tabled before him, Khader said, “Let it first come.” During the previous BJP rule, Savarkar’s portrait was installed in the assembly along with numerous national leaders including Swami Vivekananda, Subash Chandra Bose, BR Ambedkar, Basaveshwara, Mahatma Gandhi. The Congress and Siddaramaiah had staged a protest against the perceived one-sided decisions of the then- ruling BJP government during the unveiling ceremony of Savarkar’s portrait at Suvarna Soudha. The protest was not targeted at any single portrait, but to include the display of portraits of other national leaders and social reformers, Siddaramaiah had argued.