Nashik court (Maharashtra) has summoned Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case on Tuesday regarding his alleged objectionable remarks about Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Deepali Parimal Kaduskar issued the summons on September 27, noting that Gandhi’s statements against Savarkar “prima-facie seem to be defamatory.” He must appear either personally or through a legal representative on a yet-to-be-determined date.
The complaint was filed by the director of an NGO, who claimed to have watched Gandhi’s press conference in Hingoli and a speech from November 2022. He alleged that Gandhi’s comments knowingly harmed Savarkar’s reputation and attempted to defame his image in society.
The complainant stated that Gandhi’s remarks sought to tarnish Savarkar’s legacy and his contributions during the pre-independence period.
Specifically, the complainant pointed out that Gandhi referred to Savarkar as “BJP and RSS jin,” which he deemed defamatory. Gandhi also alleged that Savarkar had “folded his hands to pray for release” and later “promised to work for the British government.”
After reviewing the case, the court concluded that there are sufficient grounds to proceed, stating, “Considering the record, it appears that the statements made by the accused against a patriotic person prima-facie seem to be defamatory.”
The court then issued the summons for offences under sections 499 (defamation) and 504 (intentional insult) of the Indian Penal Code.
