Savarkar is nation's idol, no compromise on that: Shiv Sena

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena, alliance partner of the Congress in Maharashtra, reacted sharply to Rahul Gandhi's jibe `my name is not Rahul Savarkar' on Saturday, saying there could not be any "compromise" on the Hindutva ideologue.

"Veer Savarkar is an idol of whole country and not just Maharashtra. The name Savarkar denotes pride about nation and self. Like Nehru and Gandhi, Savarkar too sacrificed his life for the country. Every such idol must be revered. There is no compromise on this," Sena leader Sanjay Raut tweeted.

Addressing the Congress' mega "Bharat Bachao Rally" in Delhi earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi rejected the BJP's demand for apology.

"The BJP asked me to apologise. My name is not Rahul Savarkar, it is Rahul Gandhi, and I will never apologise for speaking the truth," he said.

The Congress leader was apparently referring to the allegation against Savarkar that he tendered apology to the British for securing early release from the Cellular Jail in Andaman.

The Sena, which formed an unlikely alliance with the Congress and the NCP after it fell out with the BJP, had blasted Rahul Gandhi during the Maharashtra Assembly election campaign for his comments against Savarkar.