A Pune court has summoned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case relating to his remarks on freedom fighter VD Savarkar. The court has requested that Rahul Gandhi be present on May 9.
The case was filed by a relative of VD Savarkar against Rahul Gandhi after he made a statement about the freedom fighter in London some time back.
Gandhi had said, "They (Savarkar and his friends) beat up a Muslim and felt happy. If five people beat up one person and someone is getting happy, then this is cowardice. Fifteen people with Savarkarji are beating one person. This is also in their ideology."
In another case against Rahul Gandhi over the same issue, the Supreme Court on Friday warned the Congress MP not to make controversial remarks against freedom fighters in the future; otherwise, he will have to "face consequences." "Does Rahul Gandhi know that his grandmother and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had written a letter praising Vinayak Damodar Savarkar?" the apex court said, while warning the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Manmohan expressed disapproval of the remarks of Gandhi against Savarkar.
Justice Datta also asked senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Gandhi, if Mahatma Gandhi could be called the servant of the Britishers merely because he used the term "your faithful servant" in his letters to the Viceroy.
"Does your client know Mahatma Gandhi also used your faithful servant while addressing the Viceroy? Does your client know that his grandmother, when she was the Prime Minister, also sent a letter to somebody praising the gentleman (Savarkar)," Justice Datta told Singhvi.
You cannot make such statements without knowing the history and geography of freedom fighters, the bench further said.
"Let him not make irresponsible statements about the freedom fighters. Is this the way you treat freedom fighters?" Justice Datta asked and said that Savarkar is worshipped in Maharashtra.
Justice Datta further said, "Let's be clear, any further statement and we will take suo moto and no question of sanction. We will not allow you to speak about the freedom fighters. They have given us freedom." The bench then stayed the criminal defamation proceedings pending against Gandhi in a Lucknow court over his comments against Savarkar.
The bench, however, said that it was inclined to stay the proceedings, but on the condition that he would not make any such statements in future.
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