Nashik court summons Rahul Gandhi in defamation case over remarks on Savarkar

Rahul Gandhi. File Photo

A court in Maharashtra's Nashik district has summoned Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case filed against him for his alleged objectionable remarks against Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, reported news agency PTI.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Nashik, Deepali Parimal Kaduskar, issued a process (summons/notice) to Gandhi on September 27, noting that the "statement made against a patriotic person prima-facie seems to be defamatory," reported PTI.

Rahul Gandhi will have to appear either personally or through his legal representative on the next date of the defamation case, which is yet to be decided.

The complainant, who is the director of an NGO, claimed he watched a press conference addressed by Gandhi in Hingoli and also a speech made by the Congress leader in November 2022, reported PTI.

He alleged that Gandhi, on the two occasions, by his words and visual representations knowingly harmed the reputation of Veer Savarkar and also tried to defame the latter's image in the society.

"The speech of the accused along with press statements try to ruin the reputation of the complainant's idol Swatantryaveer Savarkar and his contribution to the society along with his noble work in the pre-independence period," he said, reported PTI.

According to the complainant, Gandhi said "Savarkar is BJP and RSS jin" which was defamatory in nature, reported PTI.

Gandhi further made the allegations that "with a folding hand Savarkar prayed for release and later on promised to work for the British government", the complainant said, reported PTI.

The Nashik court, after considering all the submissions made before it, said, "Considering the record, it appears that the statements made by the accused against a patriotic person prima-facie seem to be defamatory," reported PTI.

There are sufficient grounds to proceed in the defamation case, the magistrate added.

The Nashik court then issued the process against Gandhi for offences under Indian Penal Code sections 499 (defamation) and 504 (intentional insult), reported PTI.

As per the complaint, Rahul Gandhi claimed in his speech that V D Savarkar had written in a book that he and his friends once beat up a Muslim man, and Savarkar felt happy.

The complainant claimed that no such incident had ever taken place, and V D Savarkar never wrote any such thing anywhere.

The complainant filed a complaint under Indian Penal Code sections 499 and 500 (defamation), following which the court asked the Vishrambaug police station to verify the proof submitted by Satyaki Savarkar and submit a report.

(With inputs from PTI)