Mumbai, Dec 14: 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.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



New Delhi (PTI): Opposition members in the Lok Sabha on Friday questioned the government's decision to move a bill to amend the 2023 women quota law before bringing the principal Act into force.

Soon after laying of parliamentary papers, K C Venugopal rose to point out a law ministry notification issued last night around 10 pm to bring into force the 2023 women's reservation law with effect from April 16, much after a bill to amend the Act was introduced and discussed in the House.

DMK's Kanimozhi also flagged the issue, wondering the logic in discussing an amendment after notifying the principal Act.

Opposition members sought a clarification from law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal who was present in the Lok Sabha.

"The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam passed in September 2023 has come into force with being published in the Gazette only at 9.55 pm last night.

"It is shocking that the government brought amendments to a Constitutional provision that was not even published in the gazette! This shows the government’s unprepared and lackadaisical approach to serious lawmaking," Venugopal later posted on X.

He said this is also yet another evidence that the treasury benches look at the Parliament as no more than a rubber stamp, not bothered about the procedures and protocol necessary for a fair legislative process.

An official has earlier explained that bringing the law into force was essential as its proposed amendment will not have come into effect without that.

The constitution amendment Bill became a law but did not become part of the Constitution as the government did not bring it into force.

If a law does not come into force, how can its proposed amendment be implemented. Hence, it was brought into force with effect from April 16, the official explained.