Siddaramaiah accuses Savarkar, Golwalkar of opposing Constitution

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah claimed that Hindutva ideologues Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and RSS leader MS Golwalkar opposed the Indian Constitution.
Speaking in Bengaluru at Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office on Thursday, October 18, Siddaramaiah urged people to be aware of the roles played by these two figures in history, particularly in their resistance to the principles of the Constitution.
During his address, Siddaramaiah highlighted that Golwalkar, often referred to as “Guruji” within the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), led the organisation for over three decades without ever supporting the Constitution.
The Chief Minister went further, stating that Savarkar was among the accused in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, though acquitted due to lack of evidence. He stressed that both Golwalkar and Savarkar actively opposed the very document that forms the backbone of Indian democracy.
“Both of them opposed the Constitution, and you all should educate people about them,” he said.
His statements come only a few weeks after Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao had claimed that Savarkar was not against cow slaughter and ate meat, further challenging the BJP’s narrative around Savarkar’s legacy.
The BJP quickly hit back at Gundu Rao’s statements. Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra accused the Congress of attacking Savarkar to divert attention from the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam, which involves allegations against Siddaramaiah and his family. Vijayendra called it an insult to India’s national heroes and vowed to hold Congress leaders accountable.
This is not the first time Siddaramaiah voiced his critique of Savarkar. In 2022, he drew ire from the BJP when he said that Veer Savarkar had written a mercy petition to the British, seeking pardon and release from imprisonment, and contributed little to the freedom struggle.