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Why is Jinnah house protected while Savarkar Sadan faces demolition?
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Intense protests in Ratnagiri demanding the preservation of Savarkar Sadan
Ratnagiri, Maharashtra: The historical ‘Savarkar Sadan’ located in Dadar, Mumbai (Shivaji Park), the residence of Swatantryaveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, the colossal figure of the revolutionary freedom struggle, is facing the threat of demolition by the builder lobby under the pretext of redevelopment. To save this invaluable historical heritage from being razed to the ground and to demand its declaration as a ‘National Monument’, an intense protest was staged at Jayastambh in Ratnagiri on 28 May 2026 by the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti and other pro-Hindu organisations.
A large number of devout citizens participated enthusiastically in this protest. Prominent dignitaries present on the occasion were, Govind Bhardwaj (District Coordinator of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti), Rajesh Ayare (President, Shikshak Parishad Ratnagiri), Nilesh Akhade (Ratnagiri City General Secretary, BJP), Sandeep Nachankar (District Vice President, BJP, South Ratnagiri), Sanjay Joshi (Maharashtra Organiser, Maharashtra Mandir Mahasangh), Anant Agashe (President, Kuwarbav Panchkroshi Brahman Sabha), Shailesh Berde (Ratnagiri City Vice President, BJP), Ganesh Gaikwad (District President, Shri Shivapratishthan Hindustan, Ratnagiri), Advocate Sachin Remane (Vishwa Hindu Parishad), Samir Karmarkar (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), and Shubhangi Mulye (Sanatan Sanstha). On this occasion, citizens filled the entire area with echoing cheers for Swatantryaveer Savarkar and raised slogans of ‘Save Savarkar Sadan’.
Jinnah House protected, yet Savarkar Sadan faces demolition!
During the protest, the District Coordinator of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, Shri. Govind Bhardwaj, said, “If Jinnah House is protected, why must Savarkar Sadan face demolition? It is deeply unfortunate that ‘Jinnah House’ in Mumbai, belonging to Mohammad Ali Jinnah, who was responsible for the partition of the country and the massacre of millions of Hindus, remains secure in independent Bharat; yet, the residence of Swatantryaveer Savarkar, who sacrificed everything for an undivided Bharat (Akhand Bharat), is on the verge of being demolished in the name of redevelopment.”
The Central Government spent millions of rupees to acquire Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s house in London, and a grand monument is also being built on the Indu Mill land. On the same lines, the government must immediately acquire ‘Savarkar Sadan’, where Swatantryaveer Savarkar lived for nearly four decades (from 1938 to 1966). The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had sent a recommendation to the Urban Development Department of the Maharashtra Government as far back as 2010 to include this building in the Heritage list; however, the government has failed to make a final decision over the last 15 years. Taking advantage of this delay, the builder lobby is attempting to seize this historical heritage site.
Key demands made by the protestors to the government
- Declare National Monument: The government must intervene immediately to rescue ‘Savarkar Sadan’ from the clutches of redevelopment and convert the building into a ‘National Monument’.
- Government ownership and museum: The government should take ownership of the property and develop a grand museum for Savarkar’s manuscripts and letters, a research centre, and a digital library.
- Allocation of special funds: The current Mahayuti government has always glorified the ideals of Swantantryaveer Savarkar. Furthermore, the Central BJP government named the Andaman airport after him, installed his oil portrait in Parliament, and issued a 100-rupee commemorative coin. Therefore, nationalist citizens expect this very government to make a positive decision by allocating a special fund for the preservation of this heritage.
The Samiti concluded the protest by resolving that if the government does not take immediate steps to preserve this historic structure, the agitation will be intensified across Maharashtra, uniting all citizens who revere Veer Savarkar.
