The BJP and Shiv Sena have planned to jointly organize the 'Veer Savarkar Gaurav Yatra' in response to Rahul Gandhi's recent remark, which has sparked a national controversy. In line with this, Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has updated his profile picture with the phrase 'I am Savarkar'.
Meanwhile, yesterday, Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde also updated his social media accounts and placed Savarkar's picture on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram as profile pictures.
Shinde has condemned Congress leader and ex-MP Rahul Gandhi's repeated statements about Savarkar.
His statement read, I condemn Rahul Gandhi's statement on Veer Savarkar. He played a great role in the country's freedom struggle. Due to the contribution of such heroes, India got freedom. We will hold 'Savarkar Gaurav Yatra' in the state.
Rahul Gandhi, in a press conference last week post his disqualification as MP, had said that he won't apologise on Modi surname row; in which he has been convicted by a Gujarat court to 2 years imprisonment, as his last name was Gandhi' and not Savarkar. This had created a stir among the ruling Shinde Fadnavis camp in Maharashtra.