Pune Court Summons Rahul Gandhi In Criminal Defamation Case Filed By Savarkar's Grandnephew

Pune: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has been summoned by a Pune Court on October 23 in a criminal defamation case filed by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar's grandnephew. The petitioner alleged that the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi made objectionable remarks against his grandfather, Savarkar and the Hindutva ideology during his visit to the United Kingdom (UK) earlier this year.

The grandson of one of Savarkar’s brothers, Satyaki Savarkar had filed a complaint in April 2023 before a Pune Magistrate Court citing Rahul Gandhi ’s alleged defamatory remarks against Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, during an event in London on March 5 last year.

Satyaki Savarkar Seeks Maximum Punishment Along With Compensation For Rahul Gandhi

In the complaint filed by Satyaki Savarkar, he reportedly said, " Rahul Gandhi , for reasons best known to him, has been repeatedly defaming and abusing Savarkar on various occasions for over many years. On one such occasion, March 5, 2023, 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 complainant 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."

Seeking maximum punishment along with compensation, the petitioner, Satyaki Savarkar accused Rahul Gandhi saying he “deliberately uttered the words”, which would “cause mental agony” to him and his family.

Recently, a Nashik court also summoned the Congress leader in a separate defamation case filed against him for his alleged objectionable remarks against Savarkar.

The complainant, who is the director of an NGO, alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tarnished the reputation of Savarkar during a press conference in Hingoli and a speech in November 2022.

He alleged that Gandhi, on the two occasions, by his words and visual representations, knowingly harmed the reputation of Savarkar and also tried to defame the latter's image in society.