‘Veer Nahi, ‘Maafi’ Veer’: AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan stirs row on Savarkar’s birth anniversary

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Amanatullah Khan, on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Indian independence leader and Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar took to Twitter to post “Veer Nahi, ‘Maafi’ Veer.”

The AAP leader posted a picture of an alleged mercy petition that Savarkar had written to the British government requesting his release from the Cellular Jail in Andamans. “Veer Nahi, ‘Maafi’ Veer,” Khan tweeted portraying Savarkar as an apologetic hero. Meanwhile many politicians paid tributes to the freedom fighter.

वीर नहीं, “माफ़ी” वीर pic.twitter.com/xBaMwY6Q17

— Amanatullah Khan AAP (@KhanAmanatullah) May 28, 2021

Earlier in the day taking to Twitter, the Prime Minister called Savarkar a great freedom fighter and a fierce nationalist.

“My tribute to Veer Savarkar, a great freedom fighter and fierce nationalist, on his birth anniversary,” PM Modi tweeted in Hindi.

आजादी की लड़ाई के महान सेनानी और प्रखर राष्ट्रभक्त वीर सावरकर को उनकी जयंती पर कोटि-कोटि नमन।

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 28, 2021

Apart from PM Modi, other BJP leaders including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the party’s Maharashtra unit President Madhav Bhandari also paid tribute to Hindu ideologue Savarkar.Born on 28 May 1883 in Nashik, Savarkar was a freedom fighter, politician, lawyer, writer, and formulator of the Hindutva philosophy.

He was arrested in 1909 for plotting an armed revolt against the Morle-Minto reform, and in 1911, he was sentenced to two life sentences in the cellular jail of Andamans.

Savarkar was released from jail in 1924 under the conditions that he will not participate in politics for five years.