Congress and CPI(M) leaders accuse the BJP of glorifying a “British mercy petitioner” while erasing Nehru and Patel from the poster. The row coincides with a defamation case against Rahul Gandhi over his remarks criticising Savarkar.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi — An Independence Day poster issued by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has triggered a political storm for placing Hindutva ideologue V.D. Savarkar’s image above those of Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, and Subhas Chandra Bose. The poster, shared on social media platform X, also featured the Red Fort, the tricolour, and the Ashoka Chakra, along with the message “Happy Independence Day.”
Congress leaders lashed out at the BJP-led government, accusing it of rewriting history. Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal called the poster an “Orwellian image,” alleging it elevated “a British mercy petitioner” over Gandhi, “the undisputed Mahatma,” while omitting Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel entirely. “Every Independence Day, the Modi-led BJP distorts history to make heroes out of traitors,” Venugopal charged.
CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas termed Savarkar’s “deliberate elevation” a “calculated act” undermining India’s secular Constitution. He pointed out that Savarkar, though acquitted in Gandhi’s assassination case, was linked by the Kapur Commission through circumstantial evidence. “This is a mockery of justice and secular values,” Brittas said.
As we celebrate our nation’s independence, let’s remember — liberty thrives when we nurture it every day, through unity, empathy, and action. 🇮🇳
Happy #IndependenceDay #MoPNG pic.twitter.com/oeb39NlZBb— Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas #MoPNG (@PetroleumMin) August 15, 2025
Congress media chief Pawan Khera accused the BJP of “glorifying the Mahatma’s killer” and mocked Petroleum Minister Hardeep S. Puri’s endorsement of the image. “While mixing ethanol in petrol, you’ve started mixing impurities into our freedom fighters too,” he quipped. Senior Congress MP Manickam Tagore added, “No matter how hard the Prime Minister tries, he cannot push the Mahatma, Bose, and Bhagat Singh below ‘maafiveer’.”
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The controversy also comes against the backdrop of a defamation case filed against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Maharashtra over remarks made about Savarkar. Gandhi has repeatedly criticised the Hindutva icon, accusing him of compromising with the British — comments that have drawn sharp reactions from the BJP and prompted legal action by Savarkar’s descendants.
The Ministry has not responded to the controversy.
