Row over VD Savarkar’s portrait looms in Belagavi

BELAGAVI: Controversy over VD Savarkar is likely to erupt during the session in Belagavi as sources say BJP plans to instal a portrait of the Hindu Mahasabha leader in the legislative assembly on Monday, as part of its Hindutva push ahead of assembly elections.
The saffron party has also planned to unveil portraits of other leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda and BR Ambedkar amongst others.
Asked about it, assembly speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, who spoke to reporters at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, ducked the question, saying: “We will see tomorrow. ”
But opposition leader Siddaramaiah, speaking in Kalaburagi, strongly opposed any plan to display a picture of Savarkar in the assembly. “What is the need to erect a portrait of a controversial personality like Savarkar, who was one ofthe accused in Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination?”
A row over the issue had erupted during the Ganesha festival in September with BJP MLAs saying they would instal Savarkar’s portraits in all public Ganesha pandals. However, Congress had opposed the move saying they would install pictures of Ambedkar, Sangolli Rayanna, Rani Channamma and others.
Police attempted to douse tension by asking Ganesh utsav mandals to take permission to display portraits of these leaders in pandals. But BJP legislators took that as a challenge and, besides distributing pictures to mandals, also pasted them on autos and taxis in Belagavi city.
Many in Belagavi look fondly on Savarkar, as he was housed at Hindalga central jail for 99 days from April 4, 1950. There was a large painting of Savarkar’s picture at the entrance to Hindalaga jail, but that has now been removed.