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Dinesh Gundu Rao told News18 that what he said was a well-informed statement that some people claim that Savarkar used to eat non-vegetarian food, and it was a known fact that he did so. (Image: PTI File)
“Savarkar was an atheist, nobody denies that, and he also did not believe in cow worship,” Rao told News18, maintaining that he has not said anything wrong.
Standing firm on his statement regarding Hindu ideologue Veer Savarkar, senior Congress leader and Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao reiterated that he stands by his remarks on Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar being a ‘rationalist’, stating that Savarkar consumed non-vegetarian food and was not against cow slaughter.
“Sorry for speaking the truth,” said Rao in a highlighted post on his social media handle. He also added in fine print, “Sorry, not for my statements, but this is what Savarkar said to the British,” in his post.
Rao told News18 that what he said was a well-informed statement that some people claim that Savarkar used to eat non-vegetarian food, and it was a known fact that he did so.
“He was an atheist, nobody denies that, and he also did not believe in cow worship,” Rao told News18, maintaining that he has not said anything wrong. He added that his words are being twisted to suit the political debate in the country.
The controversial statements were made by the Karnataka minister while he was speaking at the release of the Kannada version of Gandhi’s Assassin: The Making of Nathuram Godse and His Idea of India written by journalist Dhirendra K Jha.
Rao has been facing sharp criticism for his remarks on Savarkar. He reiterated that Savarkar had openly stated that he was a rationalist, a freedom fighter, and one who also went to jail for it. “I also praised him for being the kind of freedom fighter he was,” the minister said.
Rao said Savarkar was a known atheist who did not believe in cow worship and was open about it.
BJP Hits Out at Rao
The BJP called it another strategy of the Congress to be anti-Hindu and make statements that appease minorities.
“For the Congress, their god is Tipu Sultan. Why is the Congress always targeting Hindus? Why don’t you target the Muslims? That is because your mindset is such. The Hindus have given a verdict in the elections, and after this, every Hindu will teach the Congress a lesson,” said Karnataka Leader of Opposition and BJP leader R Ashoka.
Savarkar is considered a hero by many in the country and his link to people in Maharashtra, for his role as a freedom fighter, his advocacy of Hindutva, and his views on India’s independence movement.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also attacked Rao for this statement and accused the Congress of repeatedly insulting the freedom fighter without understanding his legacy.
Calling Savarkar’s contributions as a great freedom fighter, Fadnavis highlighted his views on farmers and cows, stating that Savarkar had always been concerned with their upliftment. “Savarkar had said that a cow helps the farmer from his birth till his death; hence, we have given the status of god to the cow,” Fadnavis said in response to Rao. He added that this smear campaign against Savarkar was spearheaded by Rahul Gandhi and that “they keep insulting him.”
What Rao Had Said
Rao had earlier said that Savarkar, a ‘Chitpavan Brahmin’, used to eat meat. “He was a non-vegetarian and was not against cow slaughter. He was modern in a way. Some say that he used to eat beef as well. As a Brahmin, he used to eat meat and openly propagated eating meat. So, he had that thinking,” the minister said in his speech marking Gandhi Jayanti.
The minister elaborated on how he compared Savarkar to Gandhi. On one hand, Gandhi was very religious and a devout Hindu, while Savarkar was an atheist.
Rao said that people should listen to his speech carefully. He stated that Gandhi was a vegetarian, while Savarkar was not. “In my speech, I called Savarkar a modern man, one who had very scientific views. I also said that Gandhi was a cow worshipper, whereas Savarkar did not believe in cow worship. I said that Gandhi had democratic views, while Savarkar was a fundamentalist. To counter Savarkar’s fundamentalism, we need to bring in Gandhivaad. I stand by this statement,” the minister said adding nobody can twist it to suit their political needs.
Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for
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