‘Savarkar is our God; won't tolerate his insult’: Uddhav Thackeray’s response to Rahul’s ‘not Savarkar’ remark

News Network
March 27, 2023

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Mumbai, Mar 27: Upset by Rahul Gandhi's "My name is not Savarkar, won't apologise" comment after his disqualification as an MP, ally Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday warned of "fissures in the Maharashtra opposition alliance" if the Congress leader didn't stop "insulting our God".

"I want to tell Rahul Gandhi that we have come together, that's right, we have come together to save democracy and constitution in this country. But do not make any statements that will create fissures. They (BJP) are trying to provoke you, if we miss this timing, then our country will surely go towards autocracy," Uddhav Thackeray said.

The Congress and Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena, along with the NCP, have been in an alliance since they formed a coalition government in Maharashtra in 2019. They stayed in the alliance even after a coup in the Shiv Sena brought down Uddhav Thackeray's government and rebel Eknath Shinde took power in an alliance with the BJP.

Rahul Gandhi's criticism of Hindu ideologue Vinayak "Veer" Savarkar during his Bharat Jodo Yatra last year had sparked a rift between the Congress and Uddhav Thackeray's party. The allies had smoothed over differences at the time, with Mr Thackeray's top aide Sanjay Raut joining Rahul Gandhi's march.

On Saturday, when Rahul Gandhi was asked about his refusal to apologise for his comments on democracy in the UK or for the "Modi surname" remark that led to his conviction in a court, he said: "My name is not Savarkar. My name is Gandhi and Gandhi doesn't apologise."

In a sharp reaction, Uddhav Thackeray said he considered Savarkar his idol and the Congress leader should refrain from insulting him.

"Savarkar suffered unimaginable torture in the Andaman cellular jail for 14 years. We can only read the sufferings. It is a form of sacrifice. We will not tolerate the insult of Savarkar," Uddhav Thackeray said.

"I want to tell Rahul Gandhi that you walked from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, Sanjay Raut walked with you, we are with you. But I want to tell Rahul Gandhi openly that this fight is for saving democracy. I want to tell Rahul Gandhi that Savarkar is our God, we won't tolerate his insult. We will not tolerate this at all."

An editorial in the Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna doubled down on his condemnation of Rahul Gandhi's remarks.

"What happened with Rahul Gandhi in defamation case is injustice, but by insulting Savarkar, he can't win the battle of truth. Gandhi is born into a family who sacrificed their lives for the country and that is the truth, but even Savarkar and his family has worked for the country. Insulting Savarkar will reduce sympathy for Rahul Gandhi," the editorial said.

Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as an MP after a Surat court sentenced him to two years in jail in a criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname" remark.

Uddhav Thackeray urged Rahul Gandhi to "not get provoked and to come together to save India's democracy".

"Modi is not India. Did our freedom fighters lay down their lives for this? Questioning Modi is not about insulting India," he said.

Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray and Rahul Gandhi have decide to meet to sort out their differences, state Congress chief Nana Patole, as quoted by a news agency said on Monday.

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News Network
November 21,2025

Bantwal: A domestic dispute appears to have led to a violent confrontation in BC Road area, where the owner of a textile shop was allegedly attacked with a knife by his wife on Wednesday evening.

Krishna Kumar Somayaji, the owner of Somayaji Textiles, sustained serious injuries in the incident and was immediately taken to a hospital for treatment. He is currently receiving care in the intensive care unit and is reported to have survived the assault, according to police.

The Bantwal Town police have registered a case against Somayaji's wife, Jyothi KT, who has since been taken into custody.

Police stated that the complainant, Namita, an employee at the shop, reported the sequence of events. She stated that around 7 p.m. on Wednesday, the suspect entered the shop, wearing a burqa and disguised as a customer, before attacking Somayaji with a knife. The employee then transported the injured owner to a local hospital via an autorickshaw.

Superintendent of Police Arun K confirmed that an ongoing domestic dispute between Somayaji and his wife reportedly preceded the attack. Police noted that Jyothi KT had previously visited the shop and issued threats.

Based on the complaint, Bantwal Town police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Indian Arms Act-1959. An investigation into the incident is currently underway.

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News Network
November 21,2025

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An Indian Air Force (IAF) Tejas fighter jet crashed on Friday, November 21, afternoon during its aerial demonstration at the Dubai Air Show, plunging to the ground at around 2:10 pm local time while performing a manoeuvre before thousands of spectators.

The IAF confirmed the incident, stating that a Tejas aircraft participating in the show had crashed and that further details were being gathered. An Air Force spokesperson said more information would be shared after initial assessments.

The crash sent thick black smoke billowing into the sky near the airport, causing panic among visitors, including families and children who had gathered to watch the display. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether the pilot managed to eject before the aircraft went down. Emergency response teams rushed to the scene, and officials have not released information on casualties or damage so far.

The Tejas is a 4.5-generation, multi-role fighter aircraft developed indigenously by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Designed for versatility, it is capable of offensive air support, close combat, ground attack missions and maritime operations. The aircraft family includes single-seat fighters and twin-seat trainers for both the Air Force and Navy.

HAL describes the latest version, the LCA Mk1A, as the most advanced in the series, featuring an AESA radar, an upgraded electronic warfare suite with radar-warning and self-protection jamming, smart multifunction displays, a digital map generator, a combined interrogator–transponder system and a modern radio altimeter. These enhancements significantly improve the aircraft’s combat capability and survivability.

Further updates from IAF and UAE authorities are awaited.

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News Network
December 5,2025

Mangaluru: In a significant step to curb online hate and intimidation, Mangaluru City Police have registered a suo motu case against multiple Instagram accounts accused of circulating alleged provocative and threatening content.

While monitoring social media activity on Tuesday, Kankanady Town PSI Anitha Nikkam identified the Instagram handle ‘team_targetttt_900’ for posting a hate message alongside images of lethal weapons. Another account, ‘team_nagara_900’, allegedly shared a threatening post targeting activist Bharath Kumdelu, tagging additional pages such as KARAVALI-OFFICIAL.

Several other accounts — including ‘immu_bhai.fan’, ‘target_boy_900’, ‘kings_of_manglore’, ‘team_target_boys.900’, ‘arshad_mangalore’, ‘target_ka19_ullal’, ‘team_target__’, ‘troll_tigersz_900’, ‘tr_group_900’, and ‘team_target_900’ — are also under scrutiny for spreading similar inflammatory material, police said.

Authorities have urged citizens, especially young social media users, to report suspicious pages and avoid engaging with groups that glorify violence or threaten individuals. Online hate can quickly escalate into real-world harm, and police stress that sharing or promoting such content can attract legal consequences.

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