A special MP-MLA court in Pune on Friday granted bail to Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in the defamation case related to remarks he allegedly made about Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for February 18.
Rahul Gandhi appeared before the court via video conferencing, a decision that was contested by the complainant’s counsel. Despite the objections, the court allowed the appearance and granted him bail.
The defamation complaint was filed by Satyaki Savarkar, the grandnephew of VD Savarkar, in response to statements Rahul Gandhi reportedly made during a gathering in London on March 5, 2023. According to the complaint, Gandhi’s remarks were false and defamatory, intended to tarnish Savarkar’s reputation and cause mental distress to his family.
Satyaki Savarkar alleged that Gandhi had falsely claimed in his speech that Savarkar had written about beating a Muslim man with friends and taking pleasure in it. The complainant argued that this account was imaginary and defamatory.
In April 2023, Satyaki Savarkar commented on the incident, saying, “Rahul Gandhi went to England last month and in one of the gatherings commented that Veer Savarkar wrote in his book that he, along with his 5-6 friends, was beating a Muslim person and enjoyed it. That remark is an insult because that incident is imaginary.”
Speaking to ANI, Advocate Sangram Kolhatkar, counsel for Satyaki Savarkar, raised objections to Gandhi’s video conference appearance, stating, “There is no provision for an accused to appear via video conference in such cases. We objected to this facility being used. However, the court, considering the circumstances, granted permission. Rahul Gandhi furnished bail through video conferencing, and the court allowed it.”
The court has scheduled the next hearing for February 18.
Satyaki Savarkar has consistently criticized Rahul Gandhi for his comments about VD Savarkar, labeling them as defamatory and baseless. “We’ve been hearing a lot from Rahul Gandhi and some of his followers about so-called petitions and pensions. Those were actually sustenance allowances and clemency petitions. We’ve reached the court to address this,” he told ANI.
The case remains a focal point of political and legal attention, with the next proceedings expected to delve deeper into the allegations and evidence.
