Pune court hears that VD Savarkar’s “Swatantryaveer” title was neither given by the government nor backed by any documentary proof. Statement comes during key testimony in the defamation case against Rahul Gandhi.
A court in Pune recently heard an important update in the defamation case filed against Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. During the proceedings, it was clarified that the popular title “Swatantryaveer” associated with Savarkar was not officially given by the government, and there is also no documentary proof to show that it was formally conferred by the public.
The statement was made by Savarkar’s grandnephew, Satyaki Savarkar, while giving evidence before the court in the case titled Satyaki Savarkar v Rahul Gandhi. The matter is currently being heard by Judicial Magistrate First Class Amol Shriram Shinde.
During his testimony, Satyaki made a key admission regarding the origin of the title used for Savarkar. He stated,
“It is true to say that, ‘Swatantryaveer’ title is not granted by the Government to Swatantryaveer Savarkar. It is not true to say that the title of Swatantryaveer was not bestowed upon Savarkar by the people. It is true to say that I do not have any documentary evidence to show that the people conferred the title of Swatantryaveer on Savarkar.”
Through this statement, Satyaki clarified that while the title is widely used, there is no official or documented record showing how it was formally given. He also told the court that the title appears in a biography written by author Sadashiv Ranade, but he is unsure whether the author himself created the term.
The defamation case arises from a speech delivered by Rahul Gandhi in London in March 2023. In that speech, Gandhi allegedly referred to Savarkar’s writings and claimed that Savarkar and others had assaulted a Muslim man and described the act as “pleasurable.”
Satyaki Savarkar has strongly opposed this claim, arguing that no such incident exists in Savarkar’s published works. He told the court that Gandhi’s statements are incorrect, misleading, and defamatory, and that they distort historical facts while harming Savarkar’s reputation.
Based on these allegations, Satyaki has sought Gandhi’s conviction under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code for defamation. He has also asked for compensation under Section 357 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
During the hearing, Satyaki described himself as a writer but admitted that he is “not a historian.” He also acknowledged that his knowledge of Savarkar’s writings is limited in several areas. He confirmed that Savarkar stayed in London for around four years, later moved to Paris, and wrote several books and articles during that time.
However, he was unable to provide details about how many works Savarkar wrote under different names, how many of those works are currently available, or what has been published in newspapers and magazines across India and abroad. He also stated that he is not aware of what researchers, writers, or students in London have written about Savarkar, although he mentioned that Savarkar’s works are still being actively researched.
The court has now postponed the cross-examination of Satyaki Savarkar to April 13. In the proceedings, advocate Milind Pawar appeared on behalf of Rahul Gandhi, while advocate Sangram Kolhatkar represented Satyaki Savarkar.
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