During cross-examination in his defamation case against Rahul Gandhi, Satyaki also admitted that Savarkar had appealed for Indian recruitment into the British Army for World War II
Satyaki Savarkar, the grandnephew of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, has testified before a special MP/MLA court in Pune that the Hindutva ideologue had filed five mercy petitions with the British government while imprisoned. During a cross-examination, Satyaki also clarified that Savarkar viewed the cow as a “useful animal” rather than a deity. These admissions, as per LiveLaw occurred during the proceedings of a criminal defamation case lodged by Satyaki against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, whom he accuses of defaming his granduncle during a 2023 speech in London.
Satyaki Savarkar confirmed to the court that his granduncle submitted clemency petitions five times during his incarceration in the Cellular Jail. However, he contextualised this by noting that such petitions were a common practice among many political prisoners of that era.
Furthermore, Satyaki admitted that Savarkar had appealed for Indian recruitment into the British Army during World War II. He defended this action not as a sign of loyalty to the British, but as a strategic move to ensure young Indians received formal military and firearms training, which would be essential for the nation once it achieved independence.
Rationalist views on the cow
In a notable departure from traditional religious narratives often associated with Hindutva, Satyaki stated it was factual to say Savarkar did not consider the cow to be a god. He reiterated that Savarkar’s perspective was rationalist, treating the animal primarily for its utility to society. Satyaki argued that contemporary objections to Savarkar’s views on cows or his military advocacy often stem from a lack of deep engagement with his complete works.
Courtesy : News18
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