A special court in Pune on Friday (Oct 4) summoned Rahul Gandhi in a criminal defamation case filed by the grandnephew of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, accusing the Congress leader of making objectionable remarks against the Hindutva ideologue. The court issued the summons to Gandhi, asking him to appear before it on Oct 23.
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MAHARASHTRA: Pune court summoned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in connection with a criminal defamation case. This case was filed by Satyaki Savarkar, the grandnephew of the late Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, who accused Gandhi of making objectionable remarks about the revered Hindutva ideologue during his visit to the United Kingdom last year.
The court has directed Rahul Gandhi to appear before it on October 23.
The case traces back to April 2023 when Satyaki Savarkar, the grandson of one of Vinayak Savarkar’s brothers, lodged a complaint with the Pune magistrate court. In his complaint, he referenced remarks that Rahul Gandhi allegedly made during an event in London on March 5, 2023, which were deemed defamatory towards Vinayak Savarkar.
According to Satyaki Savarkar,
“Rahul Gandhi, for reasons best known to him, has been repeatedly defaming and abusing Savarkar on various occasions for over many years.”
He specifically pointed to the March 5, 2023, incident when
“Rahul Gandhi was addressing a gathering of the Overseas Congress in the United Kingdom, he intentionally made wild allegations against Savarkar, knowing the same to be untrue, to harm Savarkar’s reputation.”
The complaint further stated,
“Rahul Gandhi has intentionally made false, malicious, and wild allegations against Savarkar, fully knowing the said allegations to be untrue, with the specific objective of harming his reputation and to defame the surname ‘Savarkar’ and to hurt the feelings of the family of the late Savarkar.”
In addition to accusing Gandhi of slander, Satyaki Savarkar also alleged that the Congress leader “deliberately uttered the words” which were meant to “cause mental agony” to him and his family. Given the severity of the accusations, Satyaki requested that the court ensure Rahul Gandhi is tried according to the law and that he receives the maximum possible punishment. He also sought compensation for the distress caused to him and his family.
This is not the only defamation case Rahul Gandhi is facing regarding remarks about Savarkar. In a related development, a Nashik court recently issued a summons to the Congress leader in another defamation case. This separate complaint was filed against him for allegedly making objectionable statements about Savarkar during a press conference in Hingoli and a speech delivered in November 2022.
The complainant in the Nashik case, a director of an NGO, similarly alleged that
“Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tarnished the reputation of Savarkar”
in both instances. He accused Gandhi of knowingly using words and visual representations to
“harm the reputation of Savarkar”
and to damage the ideologue’s standing within society.
These defamation cases highlight the ongoing tension between the Congress leader and supporters of the late Vinayak Savarkar, who view Gandhi’s remarks as a direct attack on Savarkar’s legacy and contributions.
The legal proceedings in both Pune and Nashik courts will likely shape the narrative surrounding the contentious relationship between Rahul Gandhi and the Savarkar family moving forward.
BACKGROUND
Nashik: Another court in Maharashtra’s Nashik district also issued a summons to Congress Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case filed against him over alleged derogatory remarks made about Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
The summons was issued by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Deepali Parimal Kaduskar, on September 27. The court noted that
“the statement made against a patriotic person prima facie seems to be defamatory.”
Gandhi is required to either appear in person or be represented by his legal counsel on the next scheduled hearing date, which is yet to be determined.
The complaint was filed by the director of an NGO who claimed to have watched a press conference and a speech by Rahul Gandhi in Hingoli, Maharashtra, in November 2022. The complainant alleges that Gandhi’s words and representations deliberately tarnished the reputation of Savarkar and attempted to defame his image in society.
In his complaint, the NGO director stated,
“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 society along with his noble work in the pre-independence period.”
The complainant further claimed that Gandhi had said,
“Savarkar is BJP and RSS jin”,
-which he found defamatory.
Additionally, Gandhi allegedly accused Savarkar of having
“prayed for release with folded hands and later promised to work for the British government.”
After considering the submissions, the court observed,
“Considering the record, it appears that the statements made by the accused against a patriotic person prima-facie seem to be defamatory.”
The magistrate added that there were sufficient grounds to proceed with the case, and subsequently issued a process against Gandhi for offenses under sections 499 (defamation) and 504 (intentional insult) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
This case adds to a growing list of legal challenges faced by Rahul Gandhi, with his comments on public figures continuing to stir political and legal debates across the country.
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