Rahul Gandhi summoned by Pune court in defamation case by Savarkar's grandnephew

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar's grand grandnephew filed a defamation case against Rahul Gandhi for "defaming and abusing" the Hindutva ideologue at an event in London in March 2023.

In Short

• Case filed by Savarkar's grandnephew over UK remarks
• Rahul Gandhi asked to appear in court on October 23
• Complaint was lodged in April 2023 by Satyaki Savarkar

A Pune court on Friday summoned Rahul Gandhi in a criminal defamation case filed by grandnephew of the late Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, who had accused the Congress leader of making objectionable remarks against the Hindutva ideologue during his visit to the United Kingdom last year.

The court has asked the Gandhi scion to appear before it on October 23.

In April 2023, Satyaki Savarkar, grandson of one of Vinayak Savarkar's brothers, lodged a complaint with a Pune magistrate court regarding Rahul Gandhi's alleged defamatory comments about Vinayak Savarkar. The remarks were allegedly made by Gandhi during an event in London on March 5, 2023.

"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 complaint filed by Satyaki Savarkar read.

"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," it added.

Satyaki Savarkar also alleged that Rahul Gandhi "deliberately uttered the words" which would "cause mental agony" to him and his family. Satyaki has urged the court that Rahul Gandhi be tried in accordance with the law, and maximum punishment be awarded to him, as well as compensation to the petitioner.

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.