Rahul Gandhi to face trial court in RSS suit

NEW DELHI: Congress V-P Rahul Gandhi will stand trial in a defamation suit filed by an RSS activist over his remarks on the organisation’s alleged role in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.

Rahul will have to personally appear in a Maharashtra trial court to defend himself in the defamation case. He will have to prove during trial that what he said was true and done in public interest. He faces a two-year jail term if he fails but can appeal against any conviction to the high court and Supreme Court. Rahul can seek personal exemption from the trial court, a bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and C Nagappan said on Thursday, refusing a plea by his counsel Kapil Sibal to exempt him from appearing personally in the court and be represented by his lawyers.

Sibal had offered to clarify that Rahul “had never blamed RSS as an institution” for the killing but “only some persons associated with it”. When the court reconvened on Thursday, complainant Rajesh Mahadev Kunte, through senior advocates UR Lalit and MN Krishnamani, objected to Gandhi’s recent tweets that said that he stood by all what he said in Bhiwandi.

The RSS activist sought a statement that would say: “When I made the speech in Bhiwandi I did not intend to say that RSS as an organisation was responsible for the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. I do not believe that the RSS as an organisation had any role in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.”



ET View: Another Flash in the Pan?
On the face of it, it seems a smart move by RG to get his party in the news in these de-Congressed days. But what has he gained? A retrial of Gandhi’s assassination? In 2016, India’s under-30s care little about Godse et al, something Sangh has learnt over the years. Using a weapon like this when the country has many other things on its plate means we are witnessing another flash in the pan.