Bharat Ratna's prestige will rise if it is conferred on Savarkar: Mohan Bhagwat

NEW DELHI: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said that the prestige of the Bharat Ratna award, the nation's highest civilian award, would rise if it is conferred posthumously on V D Savarkar. He made this statement while speaking at an event marking the 100th anniversary of the Sangh Parivar. Bhagwat clarified that he is not a member of the committee that decides the Bharat Ratna awardees. However, he said he would raise the issue if he gets an opportunity to speak to any member of the panel.

“I am not on that committee. But if I meet anyone who is, I will ask them. If Savarkar is given the Bharat Ratna, the prestige of the award will rise. Even without the award, he lives in the hearts of millions,” Bhagwat said.

So far, there has been no official announcement about awarding the Bharat Ratna to V D Savarkar. Many people, mostly RSS supporters, have demanded that the government confer the award on him. Before the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections, the BJP had promised to give Savarkar the Bharat Ratna, but it not yet been implemented.

However, the Congress party has opposed the idea. "What contribution did Savarkar make to the society? Was it bringing in the two-nation theory? Was it working for the partition of India and Pakistan?" Congress MP Imran Masood asked. In 2015, the Shiv Sena had also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to award the Bharat Ratna to Savarkar.