Our own govt sitting on resolution seeking Bharat Ratna to Savarkar: BJP MLA in Maharashtra assembly

Mumbai, Jul 10 (PTI) BJP MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar on Friday questioned his own party-led Maharashtra government in the state legislative assembly over the "delay" in passing a resolution that seeks to confer Bharat Ratna on Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar. A party should not change its ideology after coming to power and if the government's stand on the issue has changed, it should say so openly, he said in the House, adding he was pained by the delay. In March this year, Mungantiwar had moved a resolution in the assembly seeking the posthumous conferment of Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian award, on Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. Raising the matter on the last day of the monsoon session, Mungantiwar said Speaker Rahul Narwekar had assured the House on March 5 that the resolution would be taken up "at the earliest", but it did not figure in the List of Business during the previous budget session or the ongoing monsoon session. "Veer Savarkar suffered torture at the hands of the British. At least we should not, even unknowingly, make him suffer through our own delay. We only have to pass a resolution. Does even a file have to suffer for so long? It has been two sessions -- from March 5 to July 10," he said. The former state minister also said that coming to power should not mean changing one's ideological stand. "If your ideology has changed after coming to power, then I will never raise this issue again. But your actions do not match the ideology you claim to follow," he said, referring to the delay in moving the resolution. "When a party comes to power, it should not change its ideology. If the government's stand on this issue has changed, it should say so openly," Mungantiwar said, urging Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandrakant Patil to clarify the government's position. Expressing disappointment over the delay, the senior BJP legislator said, "It pains me that as a worker who has devoted his life to Savarkar's ideology, our own government appears to be sitting on the file. I regret this deeply. Henceforth, I will never raise this issue again." Responding to the matter, assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar said the resolution was not placed before the House because it had not been discussed in the Business Advisory Committee (BAC). "Unfortunately, this issue did not come up before the BAC. I did not think it appropriate to bring such a resolution before the House without prior discussion with all floor leaders," Narwekar said. The Speaker said the government had informed the Chair that it continued to pursue the matter and assured members that the issue would be taken up in the BAC during the next session. "I will take up this issue in the BAC in the next session for discussion and ensure appropriate action," Narwekar said. The Speaker said it was an important matter for the House and recalled that it had been discussed earlier. He said any resolution has to be placed before the BAC after prior notice is given to all floor leaders. "The government has also been pursuing the matter. I will place it before the BAC in the next session for discussion and ensure appropriate action is taken," Narwekar said. PTI MR NP