‘Name It After Manmohan Singh’: BJP-Congress Political Row Over DU’s New Savarkar College Escalates – News18

Last Updated:January 02, 2025, 18:59 IST

The Veer Savarkar College will be constructed in Roshanpura, Najafgarh, at an estimated cost of Rs 140 crore. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the project

The Congress-affiliated National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to name the planned Veer Savarkar College after late PM Dr Manmohan Singh instead. File image/X

Delhi University (DU) is set to name one of its upcoming colleges after Veer Savarkar, a controversial yet prominent figure in India’s freedom struggle and political history. The decision, stemming from a 2021 approval by DU’s executive council, is part of a broader plan to establish three new colleges in Dwarka and Najafgarh, including a law college. However, a swirling political row has erupted over the issue, with the Congress’s student wing now demanding the college be named after late Prime Minister Manmohan Singh instead.

The Veer Savarkar College will be constructed in Roshanpura, Najafgarh, at an estimated cost of Rs 140 crore. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the project, along with two other major initiatives for DU — an academic block in the eastern campus at Surajmal Vihar in east Delhi and another academic block in the western campus at Dwarka. Combined, these projects represent an investment exceeding Rs 600 crore and aim to provide state-of-the-art facilities for education and research.

Political debate

The decision has sparked a fierce political debate between the BJP and Congress. Congress has accused the BJP of attempting to “legitimise” Veer Savarkar’s role as a freedom fighter, citing his controversial past and allegations of collaboration with British authorities during the colonial era.

Congress MP Naseer Hussain criticised the move, stating, “It would have been good if the college was named after freedom fighters who laid down their lives for the country. Those loyal to the British government and who acted as police informers are now being legitimised as freedom fighters by the BJP. But everyone knows the reality.”

Also, the Congress-affiliated National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to name the college after late PM Dr Manmohan Singh instead. In its letter, the NSUI has also demanded that a central university be named after Dr Singh and include his life journey in the curriculum.

The BJP, on the other hand, has staunchly defended the decision.

Delhi BJP leader Virendra Sachdeva remarked, “Only Congress knows which leaders it respects. Veer Savarkar was a freedom fighter. If Delhi University is naming its college in his honour, then we welcome it.”

Pressure on INDIA bloc members

Adding to the political drama, BJP sources have questioned the stance of key INDIA bloc members, including Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar, both of whom have historically praised Savarkar.

BJP leaders have asked whether these allies support the Congress’s criticism or stand by their earlier admiration for Savarkar.