A Muslim youth association demanded a Bharat Ratna for Veer Savarkar while celebrating his 135th birth anniversary on 28 May, Amar Ujala has reported. This program took place in Aligarh region of Uttar Pradesh.
As quoted by the report, the president of the association Mohammed Aamir Rashid stated that, ideological differences caused the previous governments to disregard Savarkar’s sacrifices. This included recounting the fact that Savarkar was sentenced not once but twice, to the dreaded cellular jail in Andaman & Nicobar islands. Besides this Rashid claimed that scores of other revolutionaries too weren’t remembered by the said governments.
He as a result accused certain leftist historians of criticising Savarkar, who as per him themselves didn’t have any role in Indian independence. He also accused them of not realising his sacrifices. Thus the association in its pursuit to demand Bharat Ratna for the Hindutva icon, sent 150 postcards to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind.
As per a Patrika report, Rashid who is also a RSS functionary, has himself sent a letter to the Central Government making this request.
Besides this, the association has also released a poster, which brings into question the practice of awarding the Bharat Ratna to members of the Gandhi family and supposedly to the sycophants of the Congress party.
This Muslim association isn’t the only organisation which has demanded more recognition for Savarkar.
It was reported how the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha (ABHM), prodded the Modi government to replace Gandhi’s picture with his, on the Indian currency notes. Besides this, they too had made the demand that a Bharat Ratna be awarded to him.