By Narsi Benwal

A Special MP/MLA Court in Pune was recently informed that right-wing ideologue Vinayak Savarkar had filed five mercy petitions with the then British government and had also appealed recruitment in British government during the World War II.This comes in the testimony of Satyaki Savarkar, the grandnephew of Savarkar, who has lodged a criminal defamation case against Congress leader Rahul

Gandhi for allegedly defaming Savarkar by delivering a speech in London.

Satyaki has also admitted that Savarkar never referred a cow as a God but only as a useful animal.

“It is true to say that Savarkar had filed mercy petitions five times while he was in the Cellular Jail. That not only Savarkar but many political prisoners have sent similar petitions to the British Government. It is not true to say that, according to some historians, Savarkar is accused of having proposed the two-nation concept. That Savarkar made factual comments about the two-nation dispute, but the original concept was not his but was proposed by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. It is true to say that, reference is made to Savarkar’s view that the cow is a useful animal, not a God,” Satyaki said in his cross-examination.

In his cross-examination by Gandhi’s counsel Milind Pawar, Satyaki admitted to the fact that Savarkar, who was acquitted from the murder case of Mahatma Gandhi, had also appealed to the then British Government for recruitment into the British Army. However, he explained the reason for Savarkar’s appeal.

“It is not true to say that, Savarkar is accused of appealing for recruitment into the British army during World War II. That this is not an accusation, but an objection, such objections are raised without understanding Savarkar’s role, The purpose was to provide young people with military training, firearms training, and experience in holding various positions in the army by joining the then Indian Army, so that after India became independent, it would have its own armed forces at its disposal to maintain its independence, it is a result of Savarkar’s shortsightedness that India was able to win when Pakistan attacked India immediately after independence because of trained Indian soldiers,” Satyaki explained.

The complainant Satyaki also refused to answer to questions as to why Savarkar is “glorified” more than other revolutionists like Bhagat Singh, Batukeshwar Dutt etc.

This story was originally published in livelaw.in. Read the full story here.