'Name after Manmohan': Congress, BJP clash on Savarkar college inauguration
What's the story
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of a new college named after Hindutva icon Veer Savarkar in Delhi's Najafgarh on Friday.
The move has sparked a political row between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress, with the National Students' Union of India (NSUI)—the Congress's student wing—suggesting that the college instead be named after Dr. Manmohan Singh.
The former prime minister passed away in December.
Letter details
NSUI's letter to PM Modi highlights Singh's contributions
The NSUI highlighted Singh's immense contributions to education and economic reforms in a letter to PM Modi.
They contended that naming institutions after Singh would "inspire generations and honor his transformative vision."
The student body also called for a central university to be named after the late prime minister and for his life story to be included in academic curricula.
Controversy erupts
Congress questions decision to name college after Savarkar
Congress leaders have expressed their dissent over the decision to name the college after Savarkar, questioning his status as a freedom fighter.
Congress MP Naseer Hussain alleged that the BJP was "legitimizing those who collaborated with the British."
He said many freedom fighters laid down their lives for India's independence and should be honored instead.
BJP's response
BJP defends decision, accuses Congress of insulting figures
The BJP, however, has defended its decision to name the college after Savarkar.
Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said Savarkar was a freedom fighter who "fought for independence and was jailed."
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla accused the Congress of disrespecting prominent figures, adding that leaders like Indira Gandhi had praised Savarkar in the past.
College details
Veer Savarkar College: A ₹140 crore project
The Veer Savarkar College will be built at an estimated cost of ₹140 crore.
The decision to name the college after Savarkar was approved by Delhi University's executive council in 2021.
The college will have state-of-the-art facilities, including an academic block in East Delhi and another in Dwarka.
The prime minister will lay the foundation stone for three new projects totaling more than ₹600 crore at Delhi University.