Rahul Gandhi faces defamation trial over Savarkar’s cow‑worship comments

In a special MP/MLA court in Pune, Satyaki Savarkar, the grandnephew of Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, testified that his granduncle regarded cows only as “useful” animals and criticised their worship. He quoted Savarkar’s book, stating that “regarding a cow as a deity is an insult to humanity and to the very concept of divinity.”

The testimony is part of a criminal defamation case filed by Satyaki against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, alleging that Gandhi’s speech in London defamed Savarkar. Rahul Gandhi’s counsel presented the same book during cross‑examination, and the case is being heard by Special Judge Amol Shinde. The trial highlights the political clash over cow‑worship symbolism and the legacy of Savarkar in contemporary Indian politics.