Congress leader and Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao sparked a controversy with his remarks on Vinayak Damodar Savarkar being a non-vegetarian and not against cow slaughter. At an event in Bengaluru organised to mark Gandhi Jayanti, Dinesh Gundu Rao claimed that Savarkar was not only a meat-eater, who consumed beef, but also propagated the practice publicly. The Congress minister said that Savarkar, despite being a Brahmin, did not adhere to traditional dietary restrictions and was a modernist. Dinesh Gundu Rao said, “Savarkar was a Brahmin, but he ate beef and was a non-vegetarian. He did not oppose cow slaughter; in fact, he was quite a modernist on that topic."
The minister also contrasted Savarkar’s views with those of Mahatma Gandhi, emphasizing that Savarkar’s ideology leaned toward fundamentalism, whereas, Gandhi’s beliefs were deeply democratic. Responding to the controversial remarks by the Congress minister, BJP leader R Ashok questioned why the Congress was always targeting Hindus. Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis also slammed the Congress, and said that Rahul Gandhi started defaming Savarkar and now others are just taking his narrative forward.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam has condemned the recent remarks made by Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao against Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. Nirupam labeled the comments as a "very low-level" attack, stating that they amounted to an insult to the revered leader and freedom fighter, popularly known as Swatantra Veer Savarkar. "Once again, the Congress party has made a very low-level comment against Swatantra Veer Savarkar. The comment made by the Health Minister of Karnataka on Veer Savarkar is completely condemnable, it is an insult to him," Nirupam said, adding that Savarkar played a significant role in India's freedom struggle.
He emphasized the importance of Savarkar's contribution to India's independence, a sentiment deeply shared by many in Maharashtra. Nirupam also issued a stern warning to the Congress party. "I want to tell the Congress and threaten them that the people of Maharashtra love Savarkar ji very much, and if they keep insulting him like this again and again, then the people of Maharashtra will bury the Congress party in the ground, so the Congress party should stop insulting Savarkar," he stated.The issue of Savarkar has been a frequent point of contention between the Congress and various political factions in Maharashtra, including the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP