New Delhi: On Tuesday, the
Supreme Court asked Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi to express regret for
his comments holding the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) responsible for
Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination or be ready to face a defamation trial.
While hearing a defamation
case filed against Rahul Gandhi, the Supreme Court asked the 46-year-old
politician, “Why did you make a sweeping statement against the RSS branding
everyone associated with the organization in the same brush.” “You can’t make
wholesale denunciation of an organization,” the court added.
The incident comes just a
few days after Rahul Gandhi thanked the Supreme Court for teaching Prime
Minister Narendra Modi a lesson in democracy.
While addressing a public
rally ahead of the national election in 2014, Rahul allegedly said, “RSS people
killed Gandhiji and their people talk of Gandhiji.” Rajesh Kunte, Secretary of
RSS unit at Bhiwandi, filed criminal complaint against Gandhi, alleging that
the Cingress Party leader had made this remark for electoral gains.
Earlier this year, the
Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of criminal defamation laws in
India. The matter of criminal defamation brought together an unlikely cast of
characters including BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind
Kejriwal and Gandhi, who argued that criminal defamation laws curtail free
speech.
A bench of Justices Dipak
Misra and R F Nariman refused Rahul’s request for two-week adjournment and
posted the matter for hearing on July 27. Rahul wanted two week’s time saying
his counsel Kapil Sibal is not free before that. The court said that this is no
ground for adjournment and posted the matter for July 27, saying no further
postponement of hearing would be allowed. Rahul had moved the Supreme Court in
May 2015 for quashing the criminal case lodged against him for his comments
against the RSS during the 2014 rally.
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