‘Will blacken his face, pelt stones': Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Bala Darade threatens Rahul Gandhi over Savarkar remark

Indian Express

28-05-2025

A fresh controversy erupted within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance in Maharashtra after Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Bala Darade on Tuesday threatened to blacken the face of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi if he visits Nashik, to protest against his past remarks on Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar. State Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal termed the comments from a member of an ally as 'deeply unfortunate'.
Speaking at a Savarkar Jayanti event in the city, Darade, the Shiv Sena (UBT) deputy city chief in Nashik, said that the Sainiks would not tolerate any insult to Savarkar and if Rahul dared to come to Nashik, they would blacken his face or pelt stones at him.
'We live in Savarkar's land (Nashik). If Rahul Gandhi dares to come to Nashik, we will blacken his face. If not that, we will pelt stones. Even if we are part of the MVA, we will not think about it and show what Sainiks are,' Darade said.
The remark drew criticism from Congress leaders, with Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Harshwardhan Sapkal terming the comments 'deeply unfortunate,' stressing that Gandhi's views on Savarkar were grounded in 'publicly available historical records'.
'There is a difference between historical critique and incitement. Such statements would not be tolerated…grassroots Congress workers are capable of giving befitting replies to such statements,' Sapkal said.
Former state minister Yashomati Thakur termed Darade's statement 'irresponsible and inflammatory,' and issued a warning. 'Let them try touching Rahul Gandhi. We will give a befitting reply,' she said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushama Andhare, however, distanced the party from the statement and said that when any leader makes such a statement in a personal capacity, it does not make it the party's official stand. 'It may be his personal statement. This does not become the party's stand,' Andhare said.
Earlier, particularly during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Gandhi had accused Savarkar of betraying the freedom movement by submitting mercy petitions to the British — remarks that have long riled both the BJP and sections of the Shiv Sena (UBT).
Political observers say that with municipal elections imminent in Nashik, Pune, and Thane — cities where Savarkar retains considerable symbolic heft — the timing of the outburst could affect campaign narratives. The BJP, which has long positioned itself as the sole custodian of Savarkar's legacy, is also expected to weaponise the row to underscore what it sees as the MVA's 'opportunistic contradiction'.