AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has sparked a political debate with his controversial remarks claiming that Veer Savarkar and former RSS chief Madhav Sadashivrao Golwalkar 'abused' Chhatrapati Sambhaji. He also asserted that Muslims are not 'cowards,' criticising calls for them to stay indoors during Holi celebrations.

“Savarkar and Golwalkar had abused Sambhaji. Then, why does the Prime Minister Narendra Modi say that the movie 'Chhaava' is good, when he considers Golwalkar as his teacher?” Owaisi questioned, targeting Prime Minister and the BJP.

Owaisi's remarks received mixed response from the political circle.

Ranjit Savarkar, the grandson of Savarkar, has strongly condemned Owaisi's comments and said that the dogs keep barking but that does not mean “we should pay attention to them.”

“Owaisi is the number one liar, and he lies deliberately. A person who bows his head at the grave of Aurangzeb, who was a brutal tyrant, has no right to speak about the great history of India,” he asserted.

Strongly criticising Owaisi, Shiv Sena leader Manisha Kayande said, “Some people in the country have made it a habit to insult Savarkar, to make him controversial, and tarnish his image. Owaisi and his party should study history so that they can come to their senses.”

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should watch the movie 'Chhaava' based on Sambhaji Maharaj and claim that what Golwalkar wrote is wrong.

Raut said, “Asaduddin Owaisi has a different ideology. We believe in Veer Savarkar. Nobody can tell what PM Narendra Modi's mindset is. He has marketed a lot of films that align with his party, be it Tashkent Files, Kashmir Files, Chhaava or The Accidental Prime Minister... If Golwalkar presented his views on Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, it is PM Modi's responsibility to watch the movie and claim that what Golwalkar wrote is wrong...”