Savarkar Was Non-Vegetarian, Wasn't Against Cow Slaughter: Karnataka Minister Gundu Rao

During a book launch in Bengaluru, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao stated that Vinayak Savarkar's fundamentalist ideology diverges from Indian cultural values, contrasting it with Mahatma Gandhi's principles. He mentioned that while Jinnah was a devout Muslim, his actions were politically motivated rather than fundamentalist.

Bengaluru (Karnataka):Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Wednesday said Vinayak Savarkar's fundamentalist ideology was very different from the Indian culture, despite him being a nationalist and that it wouldn't be Savarkar's argument but Mahatma Gandhi's that should win in the country.

Speaking at a book launch of the Kannada version of "Gandhi's Assassin: The Making of Nathuram Godse and His Idea of India" by journalist Dhirendra K. Jha, Rao said, "If we can say with a discussion that Savarkar wins, that's not right; he was a non-vegetarian eater, and he wasn't against cow slaughter; he was a Chitpavan brahmin."

"Savarkar was modernist in that way but his fundamental thinking was different. Some people said he used to eat beef and he was openly propagating eating beef, so that thinking is different. But Gandhiji had a lot of belief in Hinduism and was conservative in that but his actions were different because he was democratic in that way," Rao said.

He also came down on Muhammad Ali Jinnah and said that despite Jinnah being a "hardcore Islamic believer," he used to eat pork. He also said that Jinnah was not a fundamentalist and just wanted to hold a high position in the government and also called for a separate nation.

He reiterated that the "RSS, Hindu Mahasabha" and other right-wing groups "were trying to build on fundamentalism" and that the populous needed to be socially and politically aware to understand these.

"Jinnah was also a hardcore Islamic believer, but he used to eat pork. As people say, after innovation theory, Jinnah was not a fundamentalist; he wanted to be a prime minister, President and wanted a separate country. That's why he followed secularism; Savarkar wasn't like that.

"The RSS, Hindu Mahasabha and other right-wing groups are trying to build fundamentalism, which we have to answer by understating their fundamentalism. Politically and socially, awarding people and making people understand is important. We can't defeat them just like that. In all traditions, people are not fundamentalists," Gundu Rao said.

Taking to social media platform X, Gundu Rao said that the book documents the mindset of Nathrunam Godse and explores how Savarkar influenced Godse's thinking.

"The book presents a well-documented account of the mindset of Nathuram Godse, the man who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, and the events surrounding that tragic moment. It also explores how Savarkar influenced Godse's thinking. Gandhiji's belief in democracy stands as a powerful counter to the rising influence of Savarkar's ideology and the growing wave of fundamentalism it represents today," he said in the X's post.

Savarkar's grandson and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, came down heavily at Rao and the Congress on Thursday.

Ranjit Savarkar, the grandson of Veer Savarkar, said that it was Congress's strategy to defame Savarkar, especially when elections were at the door.

He stated that the Congress wanted to divide Hindu society into different castes in order to win elections and that it was the Britisher's policy of "divide and rule."

Ranjit Savarkar also said that the claims of Veer Savarkar "consuming beef" were false and that he would also file a defamation suit against Gundu Rai for his statement.

"This is a strategy of Congress to defame Savarkar time and again, particularly when elections are coming. Earlier, Rahul Gandhi was doing it and now his leaders are making statements. Congress has shown its real face now. Congress wants to divide Hindu society between castes and win elections. This is like the Britisher's policy of divide and rule," he said.

"The statement about Savarkar eating beef and supporting cow slaughter is false. His original article in Marathi meant that cows were very useful and that's why they are considered deities. He was also the president of a Gau Raksha Samelan... I am going to file a defamation suit against him," he added.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said people in the Congress don't know anything about Savarkar and only insult him.

"These people do not know anything about Savarkar. They insult him again and again. Savarkar has expressed his opinion on cows very well. He had said that since the birth to death of a farmer, cows have helped him. So, cows have been given the status of God. Rahul Gandhi started the series of making such false statements on Savarkar, and I think they are trying to take it forward," Fadnavis said.

BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi also slammed the Karnataka Health Minister for his statement and said that "such knowledge" proves that people had lost their "mental balance" and that they should go to a "mental institution" to get better.

"Such knowledge of these people proves that they have lost their mental balance. If they keep giving such wisdom, then society will not take them seriously. He should go to a mental institution to get better and gain knowledge about the great personalities of the country," Naqvi said.