Hindu Mahasaba candidate from Kothrud constituency Himani Savarkar said Congress itself was responsible for dilution of Gandhian principles. Savarkar criticised Sonia Gandhi for her statement that the opposition is misusing Chhatrapati Shivaji’s name. Savarkar said that Gandhi, who never acknowledges Shivaji in the first place, has no right to make such statements in his own land.

“Congress is responsible for dilution of Gandhian principles. The party, in contradiction with Gandhiji’s ‘swadeshi’ teaching, has given the leadership in a foreigner’s hands,” Savarkar said at a press meet on Wednesday. “While this is the state of Congress, BJP’s dual principles are a known fact,” she added.

She expressed anger at the treatment given to Sadhvi Pradhnya who was arrested for her alleged role in the Malegaon blast. “She has been badly beaten up and is in the ICU. While the police must surely do their work, this is not the way to treat a Sadhvi,” Savarkar said.

Explaining her motivation to contest the elections is local development, Savarkar said, “Till date, parties like BJP and Congress have been promising the same developments — clean drinking water, regular power supply over the years. However, they have failed to fulfil these promises when they were in power,” she said.

Improving public transport, constructing roads in consultation with retired army and government engineers, smaller buses on interior roads, inclusion of subjects that will enhance patriotism, water management projects for the city, ensure that Khadkwasla dam water, the main water resource for the city, will not be channelised elsewhere are included in her agenda. “I shall strive to create the ‘abhinav Bharat’ as visualised by Swatantryaveer Savarkar,” she said.

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