Bengaluru: Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao made controversial remarks about Veer Savarkar at an event on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti on Wednesday. The minister claimed about Savarkar that he was a Brahmin, yet he was a non-vegetarian. Not only this, he described Savarkar as more radical than Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
While Gundu Rao’s statement surprised some people, it also started a new debate between Savarkar’s supporters and critics. He said in his statement that Veer Savarkar was a Brahmin, but he was a non-vegetarian and ate beef. He never opposed cow slaughter. His thinking on this subject was quite modern. His views were radical in one way, while on the other hand he adopted modernity. Some people also say that being a Brahmin, he openly ate meat and promoted it.
He said that on the other hand, Mahatma Gandhi was a strict vegetarian and had deep faith in Hindu cultural conservatism. He described Gandhi as a democratic person who was progressive in his thinking. Referring to Mohammad Ali Jinnah, he said, “Jinnah represented another extremism. He was never a strict Islamist, and some say he even ate pork. However, he later became an icon for Muslims. Jinnah was never a radical, but Savarkar was. Politics can heat up after this comment of Gundu Rao. Some people may be seen supporting his statement, while some people may criticize his statements.
