Congress president Rahul Gandhi appeared before a local court in Bhiwandi on Tuesday and pleaded “not guilty” in a defamation suit filed against him by an RSS leader.
Mr. Gandhi, on March 6, 2014, made a speech in Bhiwandi holding the organisation responsible for the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. “RSS people killed Gandhiji and today their people [BJP] talk of him... They opposed Sardar Patel and Gandhiji,” he allegedly said.
After watching Mr. Gandhi’s speech, secretary of the Bhiwandi unit of the RSS Rajesh Kunte had registered a case against him under Section 499 (defamation) and Section 500 (punishment for defamation) of the Indian Penal Code.
The advocate appearing for Mr. Kunte told the court that Mr. Gandhi had admitted that he had said so.
As the Amethi MP took the stand, the Magistrate read out the charges against him. “You have defamed the complainant’s organisation and have said ‘RSS ke logon ne goli maari aur Sardar Patel ne likha hain.’ Therefore, the reputation of the complainant and the organisation was harmed under section 499 and section 500,” the Magistrate said.
To this, Mr. Gandhi said, "I do not plead guilty."
The complainant’s lawyer said, in an affidavit filed before Bombay High Court earlier, Mr. Gandhi admitted to his words against the RSS and sought for the affidavit to be taken on record.
Mr. Gandhi, represented by advocates Sudeep Pasbola and Kushal Mor, agreed to share the affidavit.
He has been out on bail since November 16, 2016 on the personal surety of Shivraj Patil.