“There is Hindutva spark in him. Don’t extinguish it” -Thackeray defends Varun

Thackeray defends Varun

TN Raghunatha | Mumbai – Daily Pioneer

Coming
to the staunch defence of Varun Gandhi for his alleged remarks deriding
Muslims, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray said on Wednesday that the BJP’s
Lok Sabha candidate need not apologise to anybody as there was nothing
objectionable in the stand taken by him.

Heaping praise on Varun
for his controversial speech in Pilibhit rally, Thackeray said: “BJP
leader from Bihar Shahnawaz Hussain has demanded an apology from Varun.
Has he made this demand in his capacity as a BJP leader or a Muslim?
First, Hussain should understand as to what Varun has actually said.
Whom should Varun apologise to – either to the BJP or the Muslims in
the country? At least, we do not think Varun should apologise to
anybody.”

Thackeray also advised the BJP leadership against
distancing itself from Varun. “Instead of distance itself from Varun’s
remarks, the BJP should stand by him solidly,” the Sena chief said, in
his editorial headlined ‘Varun Kare Bolla’, Ha Gandhi Hamala Chalel!’
(Varun has spoken truth, we like this Gandhi) published in the Shiv
Sena’s official mouth-piece “Saamna”.

“Varun Gandhi is a
youngster. He has spoken his mind. That does not mean that you can put
him in the dock and hang him. The BJP is itself going through a
difficult phase of which we read in the newspapers every day. Since it
is intra-party matter, we would not like to comment on it,” Thackeray
said, as he took serious exception to Hussain’s clamour for an apology
from Varun.

Alluding to Varun’s description of himself as a
Hindu, the Sena chief asked: “What is wrong in his saying so
(describing himself as Hindu)? We are a country where caste politics is
an accepted thing. Only when people like us or Varun stand up for the
Hindus that all others gang up against us. At least the BJP should
consider his young age and not to make an issue of Varun’s remarks.
There is Hindutva spark in him. Don’t extinguish it”.

Stating
that the controversy over Varun’s reported remarks against Muslims had
revived memories of his late father Sanjay Gandhi, Thackeray went on to
praise Sanjay who, he said, had stood up for the Hindus in the country
more than 25 years ago. The Sena chief cited the twin moves of
enforcing family planning on Muslims and Turkman Gate incident as
examples for Sanjay Gandhi “being a nationalist who stood for Hindutva
ideals”.

“In Varun, one gets an impression as if Sanjay Gandhi
has had his re-birth. And when Varun speaks, we get an impression as if
Sanjay Gandhi is speaking,” Thackeray said.

Making no bones
about his admiration for Varun, the Sena chief signed off saying: “We
have fallen in love with this Gandhi. This is despite the fact that the
code of conduct for the Lok Sabha poll is in force. Varun has our good
wishes and blessings.”

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