Efforts On to Restore Savarkar’s Barrister Title, Says CM Fadnavis

Mumbai, 28th May 2025: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that the state government will initiate official efforts with the British administration to restore the barrister title of freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, which was stripped off by the British during colonial rule.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Swatantryaveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar Study and Research Centre at the University of Mumbai’s Kalina campus, Fadnavis said that while Mumbai University had reinstated Savarkar’s BA degree, his barrister title remains to be restored. “We will pursue the matter through the proper channels in England to get it back,” he said.

The event was attended by Governor Ramesh Bais, Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar, Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil, and Mumbai University Vice-Chancellor Dr. Ravindra Kulkarni, among others.

Fadnavis also strongly defended Savarkar’s legacy, saying, “He was not just an individual, but an institution. His Hindutva was scientific. He enriched Marathi with words like ‘film,’ ‘legislature,’ and ‘pension’.” Referring to criticism against Savarkar, Fadnavis indirectly targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, challenging critics to spend even 11 hours in Savarkar’s Andaman jail cell before passing judgment.

The Chief Minister also noted that Savarkar’s name was previously missing from the University’s alumni records but has now been added. “I’m proud we ensured that recognition,” he said. The government has pledged that the newly established research centre will receive adequate funding, and a statue of Savarkar will be installed at the site.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah was originally scheduled to inaugurate the centre and deliver a lecture on Savarkar but changed plans at the last minute due to urgent engagements in Delhi, including a review of the monsoon situation and the Padma award ceremony.

The research centre aims to promote in-depth academic work on Savarkar’s life, writings, and ideology.