Delhi University’s decision to name college after Savarkar sparks political debate

Delhi University's decision to name one of its upcoming colleges after Veer Savarkar, a prominent Hindutva icon, has ignited a heated debate between the BJP and Congress.

The foundation stone for the Veer Savarkar College, set to be built in Najafgarh at an estimated cost of Rs 140 crore, will be laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. The decision, approved by Delhi University's executive council in 2021, has led to a clash of ideologies.

Dear @narendramodi Ji,

As you inaugurate a college in the name of VD Savarkar, NSUI demands the new DU college be named after Former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji.

He established numerous universities and brought the Central Universities Act. A Central University must also be… pic.twitter.com/jtghlIjrE6

— Varun Choudhary (@varunchoudhary2) January 2, 2025

The Congress party's student wing, the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), has opposed the move, urging that the college be named after the late former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who passed away last week. In a letter to PM Modi, the NSUI highlighted Singh’s immense contributions to education, citing his role in establishing institutions such as IITs, IIMs, AIIMS, and introducing the Central Universities Act.

The student wing emphasized that naming the college after Singh would inspire future generations and honor his transformative vision, particularly his reforms that liberalized the economy in 1991. They also proposed the creation of a central university named after Singh.

On the other hand, Congress MPs Naseer Hussain and Sukhjinder Randhawa criticized the BJP for honoring someone like Savarkar, who, according to them, had written mercy petitions to the British during colonial rule. Randhawa remarked that the PM should reconsider the decision, given Savarkar’s past actions.

Hussain, a Rajya Sabha MP, accused the BJP of undermining the contributions of true freedom fighters by glorifying figures who had sought forgiveness from the British.

In response, the BJP has firmly backed the decision. Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva defended the naming, asserting that Veer Savarkar was a freedom fighter, and the party welcomed the university’s honor to him. BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla also questioned whether past leaders like Indira Gandhi and Uddhav Thackeray, who had praised Savarkar, were wrong in their assessment of him.

The controversy surrounding the naming of the college reflects a broader ideological divide between the two parties, with each seeking to shape the legacy of India’s historical figures according to their own narrative.