Aiyar puts Congmen in damage-control mode

PUNE: The "Savarkar controversy" generated by Union petroleum minister Mani Shankar Aiyar could not have been more illtimed for the Congress and the NCP. With the date for the Maharashtra assembly polls having been announced, the state Congress-NCP leaders are busy in damage-control exercise.
Veer Savarkar, who is revered as a freedom fighter, social reformer and a litterateur in the state, holds an iconic stature, inspiring large sections of the masses and intellectuals alike.Aiyar''s remarks against Savarkar and the Congress'' decision to support his stand on removal of the Savarkar plaque from the Cellular Jail national memorial at Port Blair is bound to have an adverse impact on the party''s poll prospects in the state.
Caught in an embarrassing situation, most state Congressmen are trying to distance themselves from Aiyar''s remarks, while stopping short of denouncing the minister.
In an attempt at damage control, chief minister Sushilkumar Shinde and NCP supremo and Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar on Tuesday lauded Savarkar''s contribution to social reform. Calling him a "great patriot", they even described him as a secular icon for his efforts at uplifting the Dalits.
Former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh told TNN over the phone on Wednesday that the Congress and the central government did not agree with Aiyar''s statements. "Parliamentary affairs minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has stated on the floor of the House that Aiyar''s statements reflected his personal opinion and not that of the government." Deshmukh said all political parties in Maharashtra were united in their opinion about Savarkar being a patriot.
Some Congress-NCP leaders tactfully tried to skirt the issue. NCP MP from Satara, Laxmanrao Patil, refused to comment, saying that he was unaware about Aiyar''s statements and the subsequent controversy. Speaking to TNN on condition of anonymity, an NCP heavyweight from western Maharashtra, who was dropped in the recent cabinet pruning, said Aiyar''s statements were "unfortunate". "This will create an impression that we are anti-Savarkar and might hurt us in the elections," he admitted.
Congress leader and chairman of the rest of Maharashtra statutory development corporation Ulhas Pawar said the party and the central government had already clarified their stand on the issue. Nevertheless, some Congress leaders admitted that Aiyar''s statements were likely to affect the party''s poll prospects.
"Savarkar should be lauded for his patriotism, literary contribution and his attempts to uplift the Dalits. However, foreign educated people like Aiyar are far from the ground realities and refuse to see sense," a Congress leader, requesting anonymity said. "Even Indira Gandhi had made her admiration and respect for Savarkar clear in a letter written in 1980 — Savarkar''s birth centenary."
Incidentally, as state chief minister, Pawar had helped speed up the Savarkar national memorial project in Mumbai. The project was headed by Congress leader and the then legislative council chairperson Jayantrao Tilak.