He will always be remembered for his patriotic spirit: PM Modi pays tribute to Veer Savarkar on his Jayanti

On Monday, PM Modi paid tribute to Veer Savarkar on his birth anniversary. He wrote on Twitter: "I bow to Veer Savarkar on his Jayanti. Blessed with immense courage, Veer Savarkar will always be remembered for his patriotic spirit. He was also a prolific writer and social reformer." Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was born on 

Memories of this month are also linked with Veer Savarkar," he said in his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' radio address on Sunday.

He recalled that in May 1857, Indians had displayed their strength against the British.

"It is indeed sad that we kept on calling the events of 1857 only as a rebellion or a soldiers' mutiny for a very long time. In fact, May 1857 was not only evaluated as a minor historical incident but was also an attempt to dent our self-respect.

"It was Veer Savarkar who boldly expostulated by writing that whatever happened in 1857 was not a revolt but was indeed the first war of independence," he said.

Modi recalled that Savarkar, along with his band of brave hearts, celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first war of independence with great fanfare at the India House in London.

He said while Savarkar is renowned for his bravery and his struggle against the British Raj, but he was also a striking poet and a social reformer who always emphasised on goodwill and unity.

Savarkar is credited with coining the term Hindutva to create a collective "Hindu" identity as an essence of India.