Kulkarni takes a dig at PM Modi, says Savarkar was a ‘partial patriot’ and ‘Hindutva Ratna’

A former speech writer to Prime Minister Vajpayee, Sudheedra Kulkarni on Friday took to Twitter to explain why Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, the late Hindutva ideologue, does not deserve the highest civilian award of a Bharat Ratna even posthumously, as promised by the BJP in its manifesto in Maharashtra.

In the first tweet, Kulkarni says: (Savarkar) can be called a Hindutva Ratna.... But he is absolutely undeserving to be honored with #BharatRatna. He was a patriot, but a partial patriot. One cannot be a true Indian with so much anti-Muslim animus.

His second tweet refers to PM Narendra Modi’s speech lauding Savarkar while addressing a rally in Maharashtra’s Akola on October 16, in which he said: "It is due to Savarkar's ‘sanskar’ (values) that we put nationalism as the basis for nation-building.”

Quoting from a book Veer Savarkar by Dhananjay Keer, he tweeted: Fact 2: "Muslims would remain Muslims first, Indians NEVER" 'Veer' told SP Mookerjee, founder, JanSangh (precursor to #BJP) on 26.8.52 (Pg 448, Bio by Dhananjay Keer)

The third tweet, quoting from the same book, calls out Savarkar’s role in Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination by Nathuram Godse:

Does he deserve #BharatRatna? #Savarkar Fact 3: His role in the plot to kill #MahatmaGandhi Even though he was acquitted for lack of enough evidence, why did #Godse & others respectfully fall at his feet? 'Cos 'Veer' was their 'Guru'. (P 416, Biography by Dhananjay Keer)

The accompanying screenshot of the page in question reads: ‘As soon as the judge rose to depart, all the prisoners fell at the feet of Savarkar in the dock and raised shouts of ‘Akhand Hindustan Amar Rahe; Hindu-Hindi Hindustan, Kabhi Na Honga Pakistan’ (Long live undivided India, It will never be Pakistan)

Tweet number four again refers to the same book, carrying a screenshot of a page in which the highlighted text reads: ‘Buddhism was wiped out from India because the Buddhists of those days were traitors to the independence of India’’

Does he deserve #BharatRatna? #Savarkar Fact 4: In his view of history, only those who believed in militarism were patriots. Votaries of peace were traitors. Read this comment on Buddhists. (From his speech in #Mumbai on 29.12.1952. Pg 450; Biography by Dhananjay Keer)

The fifth tweet quotes from a book Collected Works in Hindi, and went as follows:

Does this EXTREMIST deserve #BharatRatna? #Savarkar Fact 5: He urged that Muslim women should have been REVENGE-RAPED 'cos of Muslim atrocities on Hindus. He accused even "Rashtra-Ghaatak" Shivaji of being lenient towards "Enemy Women" (P 192 Vol 6 Collected Works in Hindi)

In his sixth tweet, Kulkarni refers to a book, Savarkar: The True Story Of The Father Of Hindutva, penned by journalist Vaibhav Purandare, imputing that Savarkar was also involved in a conspiracy to try and assassinate Jinnah in 1929, long before he raised the demand for creation of Pakistan.

Does he deserve #BharatRatna? #Savarkar Fact 6: Brother Babarao & he had conspired to kill #Jinnah. Had spoken to Hindi writer Yashpal. In 1929! When Jinnah still favored United India and long before he'd raised #Pakistan demand! (P 227, Superb new biography by @VaibhavP21

In his seventh tweet, Kulkarni says that “Sadly, 'Veer' became anti-Muslim in 2nd half of his life”

In the eighth and final tweet, he points out that ‘Sardar Patel called Savarkar and his organisation, the Hindu Mahasabha ‘communal’.