'Will blacken Rahul's face': Uddhav Sena leader sparks row over 'Savarkar insult', Cong hits back

Mumbai: The deputy chief of the Nashik city unit of Shiv Sena (UBT), Bala Darade, on Wednesday threatened to blacken the face of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his comments on Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader from Nashik Sudhakar Badgujar said that the party had nothing to do with Darade’s remarks and party chief Uddhav Thackeray would decide on action against him.

While speaking to reporters during a programme to commemorate Savarkar’s birth anniversary on Wednesday, Darade said, “Rahul Gandhi used abusive language for Swantraveer Savarkar and a case has been filed in Nashik against him. We will not tolerate the insult of Savarkar.”

Darade said that when Gandhi visits Nashik for hearings in court, he and his supporters would blacken his face, and in case they can’t reach him, they would throw stones at him. While both the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) are part of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA), Darade said, “For us Savarkar is important. Let MVA go to hell.”