A court in Nashik, Maharashtra, has summoned Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case regarding his alleged derogatory remarks about Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
The summons was issued by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Deepali Parimal Kaduskar on September 27, noting that Gandhi’s statements “prima-facie seem to be defamatory” towards a “patriotic person.”
The complaint, filed by the director of an NGO, alleges that Gandhi’s comments during a press conference in Hingoli and a speech in November 2022 harmed Savarkar’s reputation, PTI reported.
“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.
The complainant claims Gandhi stated, “Savarkar is BJP and RSS jin,” and further alleged that Savarkar prayed for release while promising to work for the British government.
The court found sufficient grounds to proceed with the case, citing violations of Indian Penal Code sections 499 (defamation) and 504 (intentional insult). Gandhi is required to appear either personally or through a legal representative on the next date, which is yet to be decided.
(With PTI Inputs)