As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress engage in a war of words over the ruling party's proposal to confer Bharat Ratna on Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi on Thursday, October 17, took potshots at the Congress and tweeted a letter of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on Savarkar.
Chaturvedi shares the letter saying, "Rewind to 1980 Congress versus 2019 Congress (Commie/Left). " In the letter, Indira Gandhi has praised Veer Savarkar's resistance against the British government. Gandhi also wished success to celebrate the birth centenary of this remarkable son of India.
Here's the text of the letter:
I have received your letter of the 8th May 1980.
Veer Savarkar's daring defiance of the British Government has its own important place in the ... of our freedom movement. I wish success to the plans to celebrate the birthday centenary of this remarkable son of India.
The Congress party has not yet issued any statement regarding the letter that dates back to 1980.
BJP seeks Bharat Ratna for Veer Savarkar
Addressing an election rally in Maharashtra's Akola on October 16, Prime Minister Narendra Modi invoked Savarakar and said, "Congress refused to give Bharat Ratna to BR Ambedkar. They are the ones who are insulting Veer Savarkar and now they are against abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir."
PM Modi's remarks came a day after BJP's Maharashtra unit sought Bharat Ratna for Savarkar in its manifesto for the October 21 Maharashtra elections.
NOTE: International Business Times could not verify the authenticity of the letter.
