The Hindu : Opposition to boycott unveiling of Savarkar portrait

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 26, 2003

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Opposition to boycott unveiling of Savarkar portrait

By Javed Ansari

NEW DELHI FEB. 25. The unveiling of a portrait of V.D. Savarkar in the Central Hall of Parliament has become a subject of raging controversy. The entire Opposition has decided to boycott tomorrow's ceremony where the President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, is due to unveil the portrait. The Opposition has written to Dr. Kalam, urging him to reconsider his decision of unveiling the portrait.

The Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, in a letter to Dr. Kalam, has registered her party's protest against the move to instal the portrait. She has pointed out that the boycott decision was not out of any disrespect for him.

In addition to Ms. Gandhi's letter, the Congress also released a statement voicing its protest.

It said that ``Savarkar's petition seeking mercy from the British, his advocacy of the two-nation theory and his alleged association with the assassins of Mahatma Gandhi, make it extremely inappropriate that his portrait be put up in the same hallowed precincts as those of other freedom fighters''.

Other Opposition leaders, including Rashid Alvi (BSP), have, in a letter, objected to the decision on the grounds that ``Savarkar was an accused in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi and had submitted a mercy petition to the British authorities, besides being a supporter of Mohammed Ali Jinnah's two-nation theory.''

Providing the rationale for the boycott decision, the leaders pointed out that their association ``will give credibility to the activities and the divisive policies of V.D. Savarkar''.

The signatories to the letter include the former Prime Minister, Deve Gowda (JDS), Somnath Chatterjee, CPI(M), Mulayam Singh Yadav (SP), Rashid Alvi (BSP), E. Ahamad (IUML), Francis George, S. Ramachandran Pillay, CPI(M), Amar Roy Pradhan (AIFB), Manoj Bhattacharya and Birsingh Mahato (RSP).

The deputy leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party, Shivraj Patil, chief whip of the party in the Rajya Sabha, Pranab Mukherjee and Mr. Somnath Chatterjee are members of the joint committee on installation of portraits and statues of national leaders.

All three and J. Chittaranjan of the CPI were present at the meeting of the committee in December in which the decision to instal the portrait was taken.

`A case of afterthought'

The BJP spokesperson, V.K. Malhotra, said the Opposition reaction was a clear case of afterthought. He said the minutes of the meeting clearly showed that none of those present at the meeting raised any objection.

The Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj, said the set procedure was duly followed.

``Nobody protested or dissented when the committee met and the minutes were circulated. To protest and create a controversy now is not right,'' she told the media.

Mr. Chatterjee today conceded that he had erred in not being vocal in his protest at the committee meeting. ``It was a big mistake. I should have been more strident in my protest,'' he said. Both Mr. Mukherjee and Mr. Shivraj Patil were not available for comments.

The Congress spokesperson, Jaipal Reddy, had a tough time defending the stand taken by two senior leaders of the party.

``As the deliberations of the parliamentary committees are confidential I cannot comment on what transpires at the meeting.''

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