Mayawati asks Cong to clear its stand on Savarkar issue

New Delhi: The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Kumari Mayawati hit out at the Congress on Sunday over the difference of opinion between the Congress and its new ally Shiv Sena over Savarkar.

In a series of tweets on Sunday morning, Mayawati said that the Shiv Sena “supported the Central government on the Citizenship Amendment Bill” and is now “intolerant” of the Congress’s opinion on Savarkar.

“Despite this, the Congress is still supporting the Shiv Sena in the Maharashtra government. What is it, if not double standards?” she said. She further asked the Congress to clear its stand on the matter since the party is supporting the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra at the same time having different views.

Mayawati’s statement came a day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, while responding to the government’s demand to apologise for his “Rape in India” remark, said that his name is Rahul Gandhi and not Rahul Savarkar.

After Mr Gandhi’s Savarkar remark during the “Bharat Bachao” rally in New Delhi on Saturday, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said that Mr Gandhi’s statement was “extremely unfortunate”. Mr Raut tweeted that there is “need to respect a legend” like Savarkar.

In the recently concluded winter session of parliament Shiv Sena had supported the Citizenship bill in the Lok Sabha after it was tabled by Home Minister Amit Shah.

However, the right wing party had recused from voting on the Bill in the Rajya Sabha, allegedly in an attempt to not severe its ties with the Congress in Maharashtra.

It has been less than a month since the alliance in Maharashtra between the Congress NCP and the Shiv Sena. Though a common minimum program (CMP) has been put in place but there have been certain contentious issues.

These include the position of the Shiv Sena on the Citizen Amendment Bill and the issue of Savarkar. As of now an uneasy calm prevails but in the coming days the gulf maybe widened.