Karnataka Health Minister's Controversial Remarks on Savarkar

Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao sparked controversy by stating that Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar consumed meat and did not oppose cow slaughter. Rao compared Savarkar's beliefs to those of Mahatma Gandhi and Muhammad Ali Jinnah, highlighting Savarkar as a fundamentalist.

Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao ignited controversy with comments about Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar during a recent event. Rao claimed that Savarkar, identified as a 'Chitpavan Brahmin', consumed meat and did not oppose cow slaughter.

Rao's assertions marked a stark contrast to Gandhian ideology. He described Mahatma Gandhi as a vegetarian and a democratic person with firm faith in Hinduism, in contrast to Savarkar's modern, yet fundamentalist beliefs.

The minister also drew comparisons with Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, who, according to Rao, was a hardcore Islamist yet not a fundamentalist like Savarkar. These remarks have stirred significant political debate.

(With inputs from agencies.)