Could Rahul Gandhi’s attacks on Savarkar give the beleaguered BJP a boost in Maharashtra?

A week after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s swipe at late Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar, the Bharatiya Janata Party and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction on Sunday launched a five-day Savarkar Gaurav Yatra across the western state in an attempt to push the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi into a corner.

The controversy was triggered by Gandhi’s remarks at a press conference on March 25. The Congress leader was asked if he would apologise for his statement at a rally in 2019 that many thieves seem to have the surname “Modi”. This had led to him being convicted for defamation and disqualified from the Lok Sabha. “My name is not Savarkar. It is Gandhi and Gandhi never offers apology,” he said, referring to Savarkar’s clemency petitions when he was jailed in the Andamans for a decade from 1911.

Rahul Gandhi’s remarks about Savarkar on March 25 are being used by Maharashtra’s ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance to drive a wedge between former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction and its non-Hindutva allies in the Maha Vikas Aghadi – the Congress and the National Congress Party.

In addition, the constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi have been forced into a difficult spot because Savarkar remains a popular figure in Maharashtra. Facing the political heat, Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction and Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party have reportedly secured an assurance from Gandhi that he will refrain from criticising the Hindutva ideologue. This is to ensure that differences do not emerge in their alliance, which has been buoyed by successes in recent local elections.

Exploiting ideological contradiction

In 1937, Savarkar became president of the Hindutva political outfit, the Hindu Mahasabha, and held the position until 1943. While Hindutva parties including the BJP and the Shiv Sena have adopted Savarkar as an icon, the Congress’ views on him have hardened over the decades. The Congress has targeted Savarkar, claiming he asked for mercy after being jailed by the colonial government.

Rahul Gandhi’s remarks are being used by Maharashtra’s ruling alliance of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction to mount a political attack on the state’s Opposition bloc, the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Within the alliance, there is an ideological divide on Savarkar, with the Sena – unlike its allies – holding him in reverence as a Hindutva icon.

The BJP and the Shinde-led Sena faction have attempted to exploit this ideological contradiction within the Maha Vikas Aghadi by questioning the Thackeray faction’s commitment to Hindutva. For example, on Sunday, the BJP’s Mumbai unit chief Ashish Shelar challenged Thackeray to obtain an apology from Gandhi and snap ties with the Congress.

The BJP and Shinde’s faction have also sought to portray the notion that other constituents of the MVA, particularly the Congress, stand against Savarkar. Through the Savarkar Gaurav Yatra “we will reach out to people with the history of Savarkar and how he is being insulted by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and [Maharashtra Congress unit] chief Nana Patole”, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said on March 28.

Stung by Rahul Gandhi’s remarks

Under increasing pressure, Thackeray publicly warned Gandhi on March 26 against insulting Savarkar, saying it would create differences in their alliance. “I want to tell Rahul Gandhi that we walked with you in your Bharat Jodo Yatra as it was for the fight to save democracy,” Thackeray said at a rally in Malegaon. “But I want to openly tell Rahul Gandhi that Savarkar is a God-like figure for us and we will not tolerate his insult. We are fighting together in this battle. But do not make statements or take steps that will create fissures” between their parties.

The controversy also forced the Thackeray faction to skip an Opposition meeting hosted by the Congress on March 27. A day later, the Thackeray faction said in an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana that such comments against Savarkar were unhelpful. “By making defamatory statements against Savarkar, the sympathy gained by Rahul Gandhi will start ebbing,” the editorial said. “This will, for sure, put the Maharashtra Congress in an uncomfortable position.”

However, by March 30, Thackeray’s faction hinted that the matter had been resolved. “We are confident [Gandhi] will not raise the issue [again],” said Sanjay Raut, a senior leader of the faction.

Similarly, worried about the impact of Gandhi’s remarks on the state’s voters, Nationalist Congress Party leader Pawar had reportedly told the Congress leader on March 27 that targeting Savarkar would harm the Maha Vikas Aghadi. “We should avoid talking on emotional and emotive issues and stick to real issues,” Pawar was quoted by NDTV as having told Gandhi.

India Today reported quoting unidentified persons that, following Pawar’s advice, Gandhi had agreed to avoid making such references to Savarkar.

On Saturday, Pawar also attempted to take the edge off the political onslaught being faced by the Maha Vikas Aghadi. “We had said a few things about Savarkar, but it was not personal,” Pawar said. “It was against Hindu Mahasabha. But there is another side to it as well. We cannot ignore the sacrifice made by Savarkar ji for the independence of the country.”

Pawar also said that Savarkar had constructed a temple in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra and had deputed a person from the Valmiki community, a Scheduled Caste, to perform the rituals there. “I think this was a very progressive thing,” Pawar added.

However, it is not just the Congress’ allies in Maharashtra who have been stung by Gandhi’s remarks on Savarkar. Some within the party’s state unit also reportedly think that they have been put in a tight spot.

An unidentified Congress leader from the state told The Indian Express on March 28 that the party needs to be careful about public perceptions and sentiments when talking about figures such as Savarkar. “The Congress may not conform to [Savarkar’s] ideology, but we should not question his patriotism,” the leader was quoted as saying.

Another unidentified Congress leader was quoted as saying that such remarks are counterproductive. “Attacking Savarkar does not make any difference to the RSS-BJP,” the person said. “On the contrary, they get an opportunity to question our patriotism.”

Dampening MVA’s prospects?

In the same vein, Congress’ Maharashtra unit chief Nana Patole alleged that the BJP and Shinde were deliberately raking up the Savarkar issue to create differences in the Maha Vikas Aghadi.

These concerns are particularly significant because the cohesion among the three parties has seemingly yielded results in recent months. In January, the Maha Vikas Aghadi managed to keep the BJP-Shinde alliance at bay in the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections. In the following month, it wrested Pune’s Kasba Peth Assembly constituency from the BJP in a bye-election after 28 years.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi has also been buoyed by an opinion poll published in late January projecting that it may trump the BJP-Shinde combine in Maharashtra in the 2024 general elections in the state.