Team News Riveting
Kochi, September 21
The picture of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in the banner of Bharat Jodo Yatra launched by Rahul Gandhi had left Congress embarrassed in Kerala
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is leading the Bharat Jodo Yatra – a 3,570 km foot march that began in Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari and is currently traversing through Kerala. Savarkar picture on a banner of freedom fighters put up at Athani near Chengamanad in Ernakulam District as part of the Congress party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra came as a big shock for the leaders.
Soon after the matter came to the notice, party leaders intervened and started a damage control exercise. They tried to hide the Savarkar photograph with a picture of Mahatma Gandhi. By then, the picture and video of the Savarkar picture went viral.
The party took a firm action and had reportedly suspended Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) Chengamanad Mandalam President Suresh for the “lapse”.
BJP however did not leave the opportunity to hit at Congress. Party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala tweeted: “Oops! It seems all attempts by Rahul to obfuscate history did not work! Veer Savarkar against whom Rahul has been spewing lies was exposed when his #BharatJodo Yatra in Aluva, Ernakulam carried posters of Veer Savarkar!” In another tweet, Poonawala said: “Rahul ji, no matter how much you try… history and truth comes out. Savarkar was Veer! Those who hide are the ‘kaayars’.”
Amit Malviya, in-charge of the BJP’s national information and technology department, said that “Although belated”, it was a “good realisation for Rahul Gandhi, whose great grandfather Nehru signed a mercy petition, pleaded the British to allow him to flee from Punjab’s Nabha jail in just 2 weeks.”
Ernakulam District Congress Committee President Mohammed Shiyas said the error occurred because an ordinary party worker had downloaded a set of images from the Internet while creating a banner of freedom fighters. Shiyas said they did not remove the entire banner considering the money spent on it.
