Brouhaha over Savarkar painting
Even as the unveiling of the painting of Vir Savarkar in the Parliament was surrounded with controversy with the Opposition creating a dispute over the leader’s integrity, leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Amarsinh Chaudhary virtually supported chief minister Narendra Modi’s decision to have his painting in the Gujarat Vidhan Sabha.

Chief minister Narendra Modi rebuked the Opposition asking it to come out of the "political untouchability syndrome" and said "vested interests opposed to cultural nationalism" are creating such inane controversies.

The function held to unveil the painting of Vir Savarkar in the Parliament by President Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam raised a storm on Wednesday in New Delhi with the Opposition boycotting the function. The Congress has dubbed Vir Savarkar as a "nation’s betrayer" while the BJP has contended that postal stamps of leaders who had participated in the freedom struggle launched during Indira Gandhi’s rule had Vir Savarkar’s photograph on it.

"This political untouchability will not take the values of life any higher. The great leader is a source of inspiration for the youth," Mr Modi said in a stern reprimand.

BJP MLA Shankarji Chaudhary raised the question during zero hour suggesting the unveiling of a painting of Vir Savarkar in the Gujarat Vidhan Sabha.

However, Mr Chaudhary, while welcoming the decision, said Vir Savarkar was a national leader and hence his painting should be unveiled first in the Parliament and then in the Maharashtra legislative Assembly, the place of his birth.

"If the painting is first unveiled in the Parliament and then in Maharashtra we have no objection to it being unveiled here," Mr Chaudhary said. Moreover, there are several other freedom fighters who should be also considered while taking a decision, Mr Chaudhary said.

The chief minister said Vir Savarkar and his family have made an immense contribution to the freedom struggle. "The three brothers of Vir Savarkar were also imprisoned at the Andaman and Nicobar Islands during the freedom struggle," Mr Modi said.

Mr Modi said even Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s statue was first unveiled in the state Assembly due to political untouchability and it was only later that it found a place in the Parliament. "The painting of Savarkar was finally unveiled in the Parliament," he said.

Republished from The Asian Age