<p>Former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, who heads a faction of the Shiv Sena, on Thursday said his party has immense respect for V D Savarkar and he does not approve of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks on the freedom fighter.</p>.<p>Talking to reporters here, Thackeray also asked why the Centre has not conferred the Bharat Ratna on Savarkar.</p>.<p>The Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction has an alliance with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party, as part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi. During a rally in Washim district on Tuesday organised as part of his Bharat Jodo Yatra, Gandhi said Savarkar is a symbol of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/national-politics/opposition-has-no-control-over-institutions-rahul-gandhi-1163155.html" target="_blank">Opposition has no control over institutions: Rahul Gandhi</a></strong></p>.<p>“He was jailed in Andaman for two-three years. He started writing mercy petitions,” the Congress MP had said. The former Congress president had claimed Savarkar wrote a book on himself with a different name and highlighted how brave he was. “He used to take pension from the British, work for them, and work against the Congress,” Gandhi had said.</p>.<p>Thackeray on Thursday said, "We do not approve of Rahul Gandhi's remarks on Savarkar. We have immense respect and faith for Swatyantra Veer Savarkar and it cannot be erased."</p>
<p>Former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, who heads a faction of the Shiv Sena, on Thursday said his party has immense respect for V D Savarkar and he does not approve of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks on the freedom fighter.</p>.<p>Talking to reporters here, Thackeray also asked why the Centre has not conferred the Bharat Ratna on Savarkar.</p>.<p>The Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction has an alliance with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party, as part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi. During a rally in Washim district on Tuesday organised as part of his Bharat Jodo Yatra, Gandhi said Savarkar is a symbol of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/national-politics/opposition-has-no-control-over-institutions-rahul-gandhi-1163155.html" target="_blank">Opposition has no control over institutions: Rahul Gandhi</a></strong></p>.<p>“He was jailed in Andaman for two-three years. He started writing mercy petitions,” the Congress MP had said. The former Congress president had claimed Savarkar wrote a book on himself with a different name and highlighted how brave he was. “He used to take pension from the British, work for them, and work against the Congress,” Gandhi had said.</p>.<p>Thackeray on Thursday said, "We do not approve of Rahul Gandhi's remarks on Savarkar. We have immense respect and faith for Swatyantra Veer Savarkar and it cannot be erased."</p>