With the Maharashtra Assembly elections approaching fast, the BJP on Wednesday made a spirited attempt in the Lok Sabha to resurrect the Vinayak Damodar Savarkar issue.

Gopinath Munde, BJP General Secretary who hails from Savarkar’s home state Maharashtra, raised the issue during zero hour and demanded a “clear Government response” to the proposal for setting up a Savarkar memorial at Marseilles in France. He said that 100 years ago on this day, Savarkar had jumped off a British ship and escaped to the French coast while he was being brought to India after being arrested in London for his involvement in the freedom struggle. Savarkar swam ashore but was arrested in Marseilles.

Munde said the Mayor of Marseilles had agreed to provide land for the memorial and had sought consent of the Indian Government, but the government had not responded so far. Leader of opposition L K Advani asked the government to make its position clear, “if not today, then later”

No one from the Congress, the Left, the SP or the RJD made any attempt to engage the BJP members. It was left to Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs V Narayanasamy to deal with the queries. Narayanasamy said the government had “taken note of the issue and would respond when necessary”. The BJP members then protested and demanded a “clearer answer”. “This is no answer,” Deputy Leader of opposition, Sushma Swaraj said. Narayansamy then promised to “convey feelings of members to the minister concerned”.