Rahul Gandhi calls up Sanjay Raut; Sena MP says such gestures becoming rare in times of political bitterness

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi

After friction within the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance over Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s comments against Hindutva ideologue V.D. Savarkar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Monday praised Mr. Gandhi’s “humanity” as being “rare” in times of current political bitterness while taking swipes against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In a series of tweets and speaking to reporters later, Mr. Raut publicly thanked Mr. Gandhi for enquiring after his health in a phone call late Sunday despite the Congressman’s busy schedule of his Bharat Jodo Yatra.

“He [Mr. Gandhi] is very busy in the ‘Bharat Jodo’ Yatra. Yet, he personally called me to ask after my health. He said he was worried about my health which had deteriorated during my time in jail. Given the kind of bitterness that has crept in politics today, Rahulji is the one person who, despite political differences, keeps the bonds of friendship and affection alive… Hence, his Bharat Jodo yatra, which is based on love and compassion, is getting such a tremendous response,” Mr. Raut said, adding that he had seen Mr. Gandhi’s heart-warming interactions with children and elderly people during his Yatra.

Taking a jibe at the BJP and the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), the Sena (UBT) MP said: “While I have friends in the BJP and MNS as well, how many of them enquired after my health despite all of us having worked together at one time. The BJP was happy after I went to jail.”

Referring to Mr. Gandhi’s solicitousness as an example of civility within the MVA allies despite their political disagreements, Mr. Raut questioned the BJP’s failure to condemn Governor B.S. Koshyari’s ‘insulting’ remark on Chhatrapati Shivaji that the Maratha warrior king was “an icon for earlier times”, implying he wasn’t relevant for the current generation.

“The difference [between BJP and MVA] is that we, too, could have stayed silent on Rahul Gandhi’s remarks against Veer Savarkar. Yet, we are not defending Mr. Gandhi’s statements. But today, the BJP is defending its Governor and its spokesman [Sudhanshu Trivedi]. This proves that your [BJP’s] love of Chhatrapati Shivaji is utterly phoney,” said Mr. Raut.

Mr. Trivedi, while attempting to explain Savarkar’s mercy petitions to British authorities during a TV debate, had claimed that Shivaji had written “apology letters” to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb no less than five times. 

Last week, Mr. Raut had censured Mr. Gandhi’s remarks on Savarkar’s mercy petitions as “unwarranted” and “embarrassing” while stating that it could cause a schism within the MVA alliance while reiterating that the Uddhav Thackeray -led Sena faction would not tolerate any defamatory remarks against V.D. Savarkar. 

Congress communication chief Jairam Ramesh and other Maharashtra Congress leaders, however, tried to play down the issue by claiming that the Savarkar row merely reflected the different perspectives of two ideologically opposed allies – the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction) and the Congress – and that there was no question of the MVA breaking-up on this count.

Mr. Gandhi’s criticism of the controversial Vinayak Savarkar – a particularly sensitive topic in Maharashtra – gave a fresh opportunity to the ruling BJP and its ally, the Eknath Shinde-led Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena to bludgeon Mr. Thackeray’s faction and question its diluted Hindutva following its alliance with the Congress and the NCP.

Meanwhile, NCP MP Supriya Sule called Mr. Koshyari “a frequent offender” while remarking that his comments against Maharashtra’s great men and women did not behove of someone holding the Governor’s post.

She further said that BJP had no right to take Shivaji’s name henceforward as the party led by Devendra Fadnavis in Maharashtra had failed to condemn Mr. Koshyari.

“Each time the Governor or some BJP leader insults Chhatrapati Shivaji, they [Maharashtra BJP] defend him by keeping silent…It is very unfortunate the manner in which the Governor is speaking on the great leaders of Maharashtra. He is defaming Maharashtra’s great tradition,” said Ms. Sule.

Protests by MVA parties against Governor Koshyari continued today as well while Kolhapur Royals Udayanraje Bhosale and Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati slammed the Governor.