Actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut has thrown her weight behind RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s recent call to confer the Bharat Ratna on freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Ranaut echoed Bhagwat’s sentiment, asserting that Savarkar’s stature is already so high that the award would gain prestige by being associated with his name.
The debate over the highest civilian honor for the Hindutva ideologue was reignited during the RSS centenary celebrations in Mumbai over the weekend.
“Emperor of Millions of Hearts”
The discussion began when Mohan Bhagwat addressed a two-day lecture series titled ‘100 Years of Sangh Journey – New Horizons’.
- Bhagwat’s Statement: “If Swatantra Veer Savarkar is given the Bharat Ratna, the prestige of the Bharat Ratna will increase. Even without that prestige, he has become the emperor of millions of hearts,” the RSS chief said on Sunday.
- Kangana’s Reaction: Backing this view, Kangana Ranaut remarked, “Vo Bharat Ratna se kayi upar hai” (He is far above the Bharat Ratna). She added that while he doesn’t need the award to prove his greatness, conferring it would be a “matter of pride for every citizen.”
Political Storm and Opposition Fire
As with previous instances, the demand has triggered a fierce political divide:
- Congress Critique: Congress MP Imran Masood questioned the merit of the demand, asking on what grounds a man associated with the “two-nation theory” should be honored. Other Congress leaders, including Manickam Tagore, called the suggestion an “insult” to freedom fighters like BR Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi, citing Savarkar’s mercy petitions to the British.
- AIMIM’s Sharp Attack: Asaduddin Owaisi slammed the RSS-BJP combine, claiming that “one day the BJP will confer Bharat Ratna on Nathuram Godse” and invoked the sacrifices of other freedom fighters like Maulvi Allauddin who died in the Cellular Jail without seeking mercy.
- Shiv Sena (UBT) Pivot: Interestingly, the Shiv Sena (UBT) supported the demand for the award but used the opportunity to attack the BJP. MP Priyanka Chaturvedi questioned why the BJP has not conferred the honor despite having a full majority since 2014.
The Legacy of Veer Savarkar
Born on May 28, 1883, Savarkar remains one of India’s most polarizing historical figures.
- The Revolutionary: A poet and writer who founded the Abhinav Bharat Society and the Free India Society.
- The Incarceration: He was sentenced to two life terms (50 years) and sent to the Cellular Jail (Kala Pani) in the Andamans, where he endured brutal conditions before being released under specific conditions in 1924.
- The Ideologue: He is credited with developing the Hindu nationalist political ideology of Hindutva.