GVL Rao condemns Congress' booklet targeting Savarkar, calls it 'third-grade yellow journal'

Condemning Congress Seva Dal's booklet claiming that Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar had a 'physical relationship' with Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse, BJP lawmaker GVL Narasimha Rao on Friday called it a "very low and 3rd-grade yellow journal".

"The kind of statements that have been made in the booklet of Congress party's Sewa Dal on the reference to Veer Savarkar is extremely painful and highly condemnable," said Rao while speaking to .

"This is something which was expected from an extremely low and 3rd-grade yellow journal. Political parties are not expected to indulge in attacks against a person of the stature of Veer Savarkar," he said.

Cornering Congress, Rao said the least a political party like "Congress can do is to keep silent and not to make such insulting attacks."

He asked what will happen to the Congress party if their political opponents publish the kind of stories that were propagated about the personal life of the entire Nehru family.

"What will happen to the Congress party if its political opponents publish the kind of stories that were propagated about the personal life of the entire Nehru family. Will Congress like this? We do not do such activities as these are very personal attacks," the BJP MP said

"You (Congress) have done the character assassination of Savarkar. If someone does the same with the Nehru dynasty then they will cry and run away," he said.

Earlier in the day, Ranjit Savarkar, the grandson of Savarkar, alleged that Congress is plotting to defame his grandfather through the party booklet which claims that the Hindu Mahasabha co-founder had a "physical relationship" with Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse.Ranjit urged the Madhya Pradesh government to ban the Congress' booklet.He also asserted that a criminal case should be registered against the Congress Seva Dal as it was during their camp that the booklet was distributed.

"Congress is plotting to defame Savarkar. The party is conspiring to spread anarchy in the country by making unwarranted accusations on the freedom fighter Savarkar. The government must take an action against the Congress Seva Dal and should register a criminal case against them," said Ranjit in a press release.

Ranjit sought action from the Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in this matter.

The booklet titled 'Veer Savarkar Kitne Veer?' was distributed during the 10-day camp of Congress Seva Dal. Congress Seva Dal chief Lalji Desai said that the writer has written the booklet on the basis of evidence.

"Writer has written it on the basis of evidence. But that's not important for us whether he was gay or not. In our country today, everyone has a legal right to have their own preferences," Desai told .

The booklet gave a reference citing page 423 the 'Freedom at Midnight' book written by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre, which states that Godse had a homosexual relationship with his "political guru" Savarkar before the former turned celibate.

The booklet also claimed that Savarkar encouraged his followers to rape women from minorities and pelted stones at mosques when he was 12 years old.

( With inputs from ANI )