New Delhi: Ignoring Opposition pleas to stay away, President A P J Abdul Kalam on February 26 unveiled a portrait of Hindu 'mahasabha' leader Veer Savarkar in the Central Hall of Parliament, at a function boycotted by the entire Opposition barring former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar.

Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, Lok Sabha Speaker Murli Manohar Joshi and a host of Union Ministers were present at the function, attended by members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies, including Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Samata.

While deputy chairperson of Rajya Sabha Najma Heptullah, who belongs to the Congress, participated in the function, her party colleague and Deputy Speaker P M Sayeed was not present.

As the President unveiled the portrait, the Central Hall was reverberated with chants of "swatantryaveer Savarkar amar rahe" and "Jab tak suraj chand rahega, Savarkar tera naam rahega" (Long live Savarkar).

The unveiling of the portrait had snowballed into a major controversy, with Opposition parties deciding to boycott the function and also asking the President to stay away from it.

Congress president and leader of the Opposition Sonia Gandhi had on February 25 joined leaders of other Opposition parties and wrote to Kalam not to take part in the function in view of a "serious controversy" in the matter.

After the President unveiled the portrait, the Vice-President, the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj offered floral tributes to it.

The portrait, drawn by Chandrakala Kumar Kadam was jointly presented to Parliament by Swatantryaveer Savarkar Seva Kendra, Vile Parle, Mumbai, and Swatantryaveer Savarkar Rashtriya Smarak Samiti, Mumbai.

Opposition's decision to boycott the function had come under flak from the government, the BJP as also the Rashtreeya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Sushma Swaraj had dismissed the controversy, saying Opposition members were present in the meeting of the concerned Parliamentary Committee, which took the decision to hang the portrait of Savarkar in the Central Hall.

The leaders of non-Congress Opposition parties as well as the BJP ally Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had announced their decision to dissociate from the function, saying that they did not want to "give credibility" to the activities and "divisive policies" of Savarkar.

PTI