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Context

• On the 140th birth anniversary of Swatantryaveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, floral tributes were paid to VD Savarkar's portrait in the Central Hall of the old Parliament building.

Interesting facts about VD Savarkar

• Right from childhood, he was an advocate of Hindutva.
• In 1911, Savarkar was sentenced to 50 years in the cellular jail of Andamans, also known as Kala Pani for revolting against the Morley-Minto reforms (Indian Councils Act 1909).
  • After several mercy petitions for not participating in politics, he was released in 1924.
• Being a passionate promoter of Hindutva, he never was a cow worshipper. He asked people not to worship cows but to care for them. He was also against consuming cow urine and cow dung.
• Serving as the president of the Hindu Mahasabha political party, he opposed the Quit India movement in 1942.
• He was a critic of the Indian National Congress and its acceptance of India's partition.
• After his release from jail, he worked on the abolishment of untouchability in Ratnagiri.
• In his book 'The History of the War of Indian Independence', he analysed the circumstances of 1857 uprising. It was via this book that Savarkar became one the first writers to call for India's first war for independence against the British.
• He was also a critic of Mahatma Gandhi and called him a 'hypocrite'. In 1948, he was charged as a co-conspirator in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, however, he was released by court for lack of evidence against him.
• The airport at Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar's capital was renamed Veer Savarkar International Airport in 2002. 
• 'Barrister Savarkar' was the first biography of Savarkar under the pen name Chitragupta and the second edition by the Veer Savarkar Prakashan. His autobiography came under scrutiny after the official publisher or Savarkar's writings Ravindra Ramdas revealed that 'Chitragupta is none other than Veer Savarkar'.
• In 1964, he felt that his goal of independence India is achieved and he declared his wish to attain Samadhi. He started a hunger strike on February 1, 1966, and passed away on February 26, 1966.

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