Lata Mangeshkar on Tuesday saluted V.D. Savarkar, the Hindu Mahasabha leader, on his 136th birth anniversary and said people opposing him did not know what a great patriot he was.

“Namaskar. Aaj Swatantrya Veer Savarkar ji ki jayanti hai. Main unke vyaktitva ko, unki desh bhakti ko pranam karti hun. Aaj kal kuch log Savarkar ji ke virodh mein baatein karte hai, par wo log ye nahi jaante ki Savarkar ji kitne bade deshbhakt aur swabhimaani the,” Lata tweeted.

A translation: “Today is the birth anniversary of the free Veer Savarkar. I salute his personality and patriotism. Nowadays, some people speak against Savarkar, but they don’t know how great a patriot and a man full of self-respect he was.”

Savarkar’s petitions pleading with the British for mercy when he was a prisoner in the Andamans have been in the spotlight in recent months.

Lata also tweeted a YouTube link to a song penned by Savarkar that she had sung.