Savarkar mooted two-nation theory: Digvijay Singh

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Savarkar mooted two-nation theory: Digvijay Singh

January 28, 2011 02:32 IST

After the 'Sanghi terrorism' issue, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh sought to stir a fresh controversy alleging that freedom fighter Veer Savarkar was the first to moot the two-nation theory that led to partition.

"It was Veer Savarkar who first mooted the idea of a two-nation theory which was later adopted by Muhammad Ali Jinnah," Singh told reporters. He said he had made these remarks at a book launch function at the India Islamic Cultural Centre. Singh said he was trying to make a point that extreme communal ideologies create a divide.

His contention was that Veer Savarkar was a non-believer who also coined the word Hindutva. He pointed out that Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, was also a non-believer. "All extreme ideological people are non-believers. A good Hindu or a good Muslim is always a believer," he said. The BJP and the Sangh Parivar have always held that Jinnah was the proponent of the two-nation theory which eventually led to the creation of Pakistan. However, followers of Savarkar 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."

Singh, a known detractor of the BJP and the Sangh parivar, also attacked the opposition party over the issue of the hoisting national tricolour at Lal Chowk in Srinagar . "These people only want to hoist the flag at contentious places like the Lal Chowk and Idgah in Hubli. They only want to create disturbance," he said. "They (BJP) would like to hoist the flag or construct a temple only where there is dispute. Why do they not hoist the tricolour at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh headquarters?" Singh said.

The AICC general secretary also attacked senior BJP leader L K Advani for his criticism of the government on the issue of black money. "What efforts he (Advani) made to bring back the black money from foreign banks during his tenure as deputy prime minister of the country," he asked. Singh, who is the AICC incharge for Uttar Pradesh also took a dig at Mayawati government in the state over the issue of law and order. "How can law and order improve in a state when money is taken for appointing and transferring police officers," Singh said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Digvijay-Singh-blames-Savarkar-for-2-nation-idea/articleshow/7374340.cms

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Digvijay Singh blames Savarkar for 2-nation idea

TNN, Jan 28, 2011, 02.10am IST

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Digvijay Singh has kicked up yet another controversy by claiming that the real father of the two-nation theory leading to the country's partition was Veer Savarkar and not Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

Speaking at a programme here on Wednesday, Singh sought to elaborate the point that ideologies of exclusion and extremism were unable to hold a nation together.

Asked about his speech later, he told reporters at the Congress headquarters that in his view political intolerance caused irreparable rift within society.

"Savarkar had the original idea of the two-nation theory which was later adopted by Jinnah," he said. "Extremist ideologies create division, it's not healthy for society."

Singh had recently created a stir with his remarks about a `hostile campaign' by the Hindutva forces on Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare prior to his death in the 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai.

The senior party leader sought to differentiate between extreme political theories based on religion and religious piety. "Any good Hindu or Muslim -- those who believe in their religion in the true sense -- cannot subscribe to extreme viewpoints," he said.

Singh argued that presumably Savarkar had been an atheist while there were questions about Jinnah's adherence to the ways of a pious Muslim. He sought to suggest that had the two been true followers of their respective faiths neither would have tread such an extreme path.

Giving the issue an immediate context, he said that the BJP had invariably preferred a contentious spot either to hoist the tricolour or build a temple. His hint was clearly at the opposition party's attempt at unfurling the national flag at Lal Chowk in Srinagar.

Singh's remarks immediately sparked a controversy with the BJP wondering whether he had the mandate from his party to propound such views. BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad wanted to know if Singh was speaking on the subject on behalf of his party.

Congress spokesman Shakil Ahmed, however, backed Singh by stressing that the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister was a senior party leader putting across his views with responsibility.