Savarkar 'insult' row: Rahul-Uddhav to meet and hammer out differences

Mumbai, March 27 (IANS) In a fresh development, Shiv Sena (UBT) President and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Rahul Gandhi will soon meet personally to hammer out the Savarkar row, state Congress chief Nana Patole said here on Monday.

Simultaneously, Sena (UBT) MP and Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut also announced his plan to meet Gandhi on the same issue and sort out the matter, even as the ruling Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance took jibes at Thackeray.

The developments came a day after Thackeray publicly appealed to the Congress leader to refrain from insulting Swatantryaveer Vinayak D. Savarkar -- a day after Gandhi asserted that "I won't apologise because I am not a Savarkar, I am a Gandhi".

While declaring his full support to Gandhi in his fight against the BJP, Thackeray however, forcefully reiterated his plea, urging him (Gandhi) "to refrain from targeting Veer Savarkar who's our idol".

"I am publicly appealing to Rahul Gandhi... You are doing a great job, fighting for the country. But, Savarkar is our icon... We shall not tolerate any insults to him," Thackeray advised the Congress leader, while addressing a massive rally in the Muslim-dominated Malegaon town in Nashik late on Sunday.

Endorsing, Raut said that Veer Savarkar is "a matter of our faith", and such utterances are intolerable, adding that he will call on Gandhi in a day or two in New Delhi to discuss and amicably resolve the matter.

Earlier, the Sena (UBT) had raised strong objections to Gandhi's comments vis-A-vis Savarkar during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in November during its Maharashtra leg.

However, the Congress ruled out the possibility of their snapping ties in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), with Chief Spokesperson Atul Londhe and MP Rajani A. Patil saying their stand on the Savarkar issue is clear for all.

Similarly, Patole declared that the Congress' stance on the Savakar matter is well known to all and vowed that the party will not make any ideological compromises.