Pune, August 5, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar believed that cows should be protected because of their usefulness to society but did not support the practice of worshipping them as divine beings, his grandnephew Satyaki Savarkar told a special MP/MLA court in Pune during his testimony in a criminal defamation case.
Continuing his cross-examination on Tuesday, Satyaki referred to Savarkar’s writings and said the freedom fighter had clearly expressed views against treating cows as goddesses while advocating their protection on practical grounds.
The testimony was recorded in the defamation case filed by Satyaki Savarkar against Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over alleged remarks made by Gandhi about V.D. Savarkar during a speech in London in March 2023.
During the hearing, Satyaki confirmed that Savarkar authored the book ‘Vigyan-Nishtha Nibandha’ and acknowledged the contents of the publication placed before the court. The book contains Savarkar’s views that cows were valuable animals and deserved protection because of their contribution to human society, but should not be regarded as deities.
According to the submissions made in court, Savarkar had written, “The cow is plainly an animal. To regard as a deity an animal… is an insult not merely to humanity but to the very concept of divinity.”
Satyaki further stated that Savarkar had compared cows with other domesticated animals such as dogs, horses and donkeys, arguing that animals should be protected because of their utility rather than for religious worship.
The court was also informed about Savarkar’s criticism of treating cow dung and cow urine as sacred substances. According to his writings cited during the proceedings, Savarkar supported their use for practical purposes such as medicine and agriculture but questioned their religious glorification.
Satyaki also stated that Savarkar viewed the term “Gaumata” as acceptable only as a symbolic expression and not as a literal reference. The writings cited during the hearing also criticised beliefs that Hindu deities reside within the body of a cow, describing such ideas as irrational.
The defamation proceedings were initiated by Satyaki Savarkar after Rahul Gandhi allegedly claimed during a London event that Savarkar had written about assaulting a Muslim man in one of his books. Satyaki has denied the existence of any such reference in Savarkar’s writings and has sought legal action against Gandhi under criminal defamation provisions.
The cross-examination of Satyaki Savarkar is continuing before the Pune court, with further hearings scheduled in the matter.
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