VD Savarkar criticised cow worship, saw them only as animals, grandnephew tells court

Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar regarded cows only as animals and criticised the idea of worshipping them, his grandnephew Satyaki Savarkar acknowledged in a Pune court on Tuesday, Live Law reported. “The animal becomes a god, while a godlike human being is treated as an animal,” VD Savarkar had written. In his book, VD Savarkar further argued that while a cow may be referred to as Gaumata or Mother Cow in a metaphorical sense, the expression should not be interpreted literally. VD Savarkar was imprisoned at the Cellular Jail in the Andaman and Nicobar islands from 1911 to 1921. Also read: Read what VD Savarkar wrote: Care for cows, do not worship them