'Always threatening Hindus': BJP reacts to Gundu Rao's remark on Savarkar eating beef

NEW DELHI: Karnataka health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao 's stoked a controversy on Thursday after talking about Vinayak Savarkar 's views on meat consumption and cow slaughter . Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP ) leaders slammed Gundu Rao and termed his remarks on the Hindu nationalist leader as "repeated insult".

BJP leaders launched a scathing attack on the Congress party and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi stating that the grand old party is always threatening Hindus and that the trend of making "false statements" is started by Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders are taking it forward.

Rao on Thursday said that Savarkar was a "non-veg eater" and "he was not against cow slaughter". "As a Brahmin he was eating meat, and he was openly propagating eating meat," Rao stated during a book launch.

Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis attacked Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Gundu Rao's statement on Savarkar stating that Raebareilly MP started the trend of making false statements and the Congress is takin it forward.

While talking to media persons, Fadnavis said, "These people do not know anything about Savarkar. The 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."

Karnataka LoP alleges Congress threatening Hindus

Meanwhile, Karnataka LoP & BJP leader R Ashoka said, "I think Congress party - from Delhi to Karnataka have decided to threaten Hindu, Hindu gods. Now, they are threatening freedom fighters. Savarkar was a freedom, fighter, he was in jail in Andaman & Nicobar...I think the mindset of the people of Congress is always to threaten Hindus. I would like to ask Congress - why do you always threaten Hindus and not Muslims? In the last 3 Parliament elections, they were given a verdict for these types of activities. So, in future too, the same will happen. Karnataka will teach you a lesson, every Hindu will teach you a lesson."

Veer Savarkar's grandson to file defamation suit against Gundu Rao

Ranjit Savarkar , Grandson of Veer Savarkar said, "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 wants to divide the Hindu society between castes and win elections. This is like the Britisher's policy of divide and rule. The statement about Savarkar eating beef and supporting cow slaughter is false...I am going to file a defamation suit against him..."

He further said, "Indira Gandhi always followed the policies of Veer Savarkar, she never followed a single policy of Nehru and Gandhi..."

'Lost mental balance', says BJP leader Naqvi

BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, "Such knowledge of these people prove 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."

'Poorly read.....', says Amit Malviya

BJP leader Amit Malviya took to X to share his criticism of Rao's statements. He also shared an excerpt from Vikram Sampath's book featuring Savarkar and Jinnah On X, Malviya wrote, "The Congress leaders are poorly read nincompoops, who rever both Jawaharlal Nehru and Jinnah, for the same reason. Appeasement and balkanisation of India.

While there can be no comparison of Jinnah and Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, ever, here is an excerpt from an exchange between the two in April 1941, where Jinnah threatened eruption of many Pakistans out of undivided India, if the government did not accede to their demands, after backtracking on his proposal to create a Dravidastan.

Savarkar was a patriot. No contemporary Congress leader even comes close to his clarity of thought and articulation. Least of all Dinesh Gundurao. But the question really is : How long will Uddhav Thackeray continue to bear this humiliation of Veer Savarkar at the hands of Congress?"

Rao emphasised that while Savarkar’s ideology drifted toward fundamentalism, Gandhi’s beliefs were deeply democratic. According to Rao, Gandhi’s actions embodied tolerance and inclusiveness, characteristics that set him apart from fundamentalist thinking.