Andaman has no record of Savarkar mercy petitions to British, House told

nNEW DELHI: The culture ministry informed Parliament on Tuesday that the Department of Art and Culture of Andaman and Nicobar has no record of mercy petitions by VD Savarkar to the British.

Replying to a query on the display of the petitions by the Hindutva idealogue, Union culture minister Prahlad Patel said: “As per the information received from Andaman & Nicobar (Directorate of Art and Culture), such mercy petitions are not displayed at Cellular Jail since no record is available with the Department of Art and Culture, Andaman & Nicobar Administration.” The question was asked by an independent member from West Bengal in the Rajya Sabha, Ritabrata Banerjee.

The Congress and other opposition parties, including the Left, have repeatedly criticised Savarkar for writing mercy petitions to the British while he was lodged in Andaman’s Cellular Jail.

Congress leaders have also blamed Savarkar for the partition of India, claiming that the foundation for two-nation theory was laid by him in 1935 at Hindu Mahasabha, and later adopted by Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Savarkar’s followers, however, contend that Sir Muhammad Iqbal, after becoming the Muslim League president in 1930, had for the first time publicly demanded an “independent, sovereign Muslim state”.

The Shiv Sena, Congress’s alliance partner in Maharashtra, has been endorsing a Bharat Ratna for Savarkar since 2009.