Rahul Gandhi reached Mumbai on Thursday morning to appear before a local court in connection with a defamation case filed by an RSS worker against him for allegedly linking journalist Gauri Lankesh's killing with the "BJP-RSS ideology".

The Mazgaon metropolitan magistrate's court, in February, issued summons to Rahul Gandhi and CPM leader Sitaram Yechury in response to a private complaint filed by Dhrutiman Joshi, a lawyer and worker of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

#WATCH Rahul Gandhi arrives in Mumbai to appear before a Court in connection with a defamation case filed against him in 2017 for allegedly linking journalist Gauri Lankesh's murder with "BJP-RSS ideology". #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/d2H3TDcG3J

ANI (@ANI) July 4, 2019

Joshi had filed the complaint in 2017 against Rahul Gandhi, the then Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and its general secretary Yechury.

A private complaint is filed to seek directions from the court to police to investigate a particular matter.

Lankesh was shot dead outside her house in Bengaluru in September 2017, allegedly by members of a right-wing extremist group.

Joshi alleged that within 24 hours of her death, Rahul Gandhi told reporters that "anybody who speaks against the ideology of the BJP, against the ideology of the RSS, is pressured, beaten, attacked and even killed."

The complaint also alleged that Yechury stated that it was the RSS' ideology and RSS people who killed the journalist who was known for trenchant criticism of right-wing politics.

The court issued summons against Rahul Gandhi and Yechury but dismissed the complaint against Sonia Gandhi and the CPM, saying a party cannot be held liable for comments made by individuals.

Rahul Gandhi is facing another defamation case at Bhiwandi in neighbouring Thane district, filed by a local RSS worker, for allegedly blaming the Sangh for Mahatma Gandhi's assassination.