Rahul Gandhi has approached the Supreme Court challenging the Allahabad High Court’s refusal to quash summons in a defamation case over remarks on Savarkar. The case stems from a 2022 speech during his Bharat Jodo Yatra in Maharashtra.
New Delhi (April 24): Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has approached the Supreme Court of India, challenging a recent decision by the Allahabad High Court. The High Court had earlier refused to cancel the summons issued to him in a criminal defamation case related to remarks he made against freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
This defamation case is connected to comments made by Rahul Gandhi on November 17, 2022, while he was addressing a public gathering in Akola district of Maharashtra during his Bharat Jodo Yatra. During that speech, Rahul Gandhi allegedly made certain statements that were considered defamatory towards Savarkar.
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The matter is now scheduled to be heard by a Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Manmohan on Friday.
The Allahabad High Court had earlier ruled that,
the complaint made against Rahul Gandhi had enough merit to proceed, and therefore it did not find any strong reason to quash the summons. As a result, Rahul Gandhi has now filed a petition in the apex court to challenge this decision.
The defamation case had drawn national attention due to the political sensitivity around the legacy of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, who remains a revered and controversial figure in Indian history. The complaint was filed after Gandhi’s remarks were seen as offensive to Savarkar’s followers and family members.
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Rahul Gandhi’s petition in the Supreme Court aims to get relief from the legal proceedings initiated against him. His legal team argues that the comments were made in a political context and do not amount to criminal defamation.
The Supreme Court’s decision on this matter will be closely watched as it involves the broader issue of freedom of speech, especially in political discourse, and the limits of acceptable public commentary on historical figures.
The exact words or quotes made by Rahul Gandhi during his speech that triggered the complaint were not mentioned in the latest court order or public filings, but the controversy stems from that specific speech in Akola.
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The hearing on Friday will be crucial in determining whether the top court finds merit in Rahul Gandhi’s plea and whether it will stay the lower court’s summons or allow the case to move forward.
This legal development is expected to have political ramifications as well, given the heightened sensitivities around ideological icons like Savarkar and the frequent political clashes between the Congress and BJP over interpretations of India’s freedom struggle.
This case brings into focus once again the fine balance between freedom of expression and respect for national icons, a topic that continues to generate debate across political and legal circles in the country.
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