Congress leader’s 'beef-eating' claim on Savarkar sparks outrage, BJP says ‘spitting on moon’

A political storm erupted on Thursday after Karnataka health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao’s controversial remarks about Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, where he suggested that Savarkar, a Chitpavan Brahmin, consumed meat and possibly beef. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam strongly condemned Rao’s statement, warning the Congress party against repeatedly maligning Savarkar, revered by many in Maharashtra for his role in India’s freedom struggle.