Insulting Savarkar seditious act… will not tolerate if you speak against Modi: Shinde

Due to the arguments and sloganeering by ruling and Opposition members, the House was adjourned thrice. As the House assembled on Friday, state Congress president Nana Patole demanded the suspension of the MLAs who had hit Gandhi’s poster with shoes. In response, Narwekar said he has sought a report and CCTV camera footage of the incident and will give his ruling on the incident on Saturday.

Unhappy, the Opposition MLAs rushed to the Well of the House and raised slogans in support of Gandhi. Following this, Cultural Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar objected to some references made against the PM by Opposition MLAs who were protesting in the Well. To this, Narwekar said what they have said will not go on record.

As both sides went on raising slogans in support of and against the PM and Gandhi, the House was first adjourned for 20 minutes. Later, presiding officer Sanjay Shirsat adjourned it twice — first for 15 minutes and then for 20 minutes.

When the House reassembled, Shinde said insulting Savarkar is an act of sedition and the insult of Savarkar and the PM would not be tolerated. “Insulting the Prime Minister is also an insult to the whole country… We are not supporting what took place yesterday. But insulting Savarkar is also a seditious act. We all should take objection when similar things are done to other leaders… Your leader (Rahul Gandhi) said there is no democracy in the country. He said democracy is under threat. The reality should reach the people. If democracy is under threat, then how was (Gandhi’s) Bharat Jodo Yatra carried out? If you are going to speak against the PM, then we will not tolerate it. Are we going to tolerate if you go abroad and insult the country ? Who will tolerate this and the insult of Savarkar?” Shinde said.

“Decorum of the House needs to be maintained and everyone should respect the House. The Opposition has been calling me and other MLAs names for the last eight months. I request the Chair to take all these things into consideration while giving the ruling tomorrow. Everyone should face the same action,” he added.

Narwekar said he would issue a set of standard operating procedures and code of conduct for the members in respect of references to the PM, chief minister and national leaders.

Gandhi has been repeatedly targeting Savarkar. During the Maharashtra leg of his Bharat Jodo Yatra in November last year, he had claimed that the Hindutva ideologue helped the British rulers and wrote a mercy petition to them out of fear.