Rahul Gandhi, Sitaram Yechury plead not guilty in RSS defamation case

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, appearing before the Sewri Metropolitan Magistrate court in Mumbai on Thursday, pleaded “not guilty” in a defamation case filed by an RSS worker for allegedly linking journalist Gauri Lankesh’s killing with BJP-RSS ideology.

The magistrate recorded Rahul’s presence and granted him bail on a bond of Rs 15,000 and on a surety. Former Congress MP Eknath Gaikwad stood as surety for Gandhi.

CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury was also granted bail on a surety amount of Rs 15,000. The court has also exempted the two leaders from appearance during hearings in the case.

The matter has been adjourned to further hearing on September 22.

After the hearing, Rahul addressed reporters outside the court and said, “I am being attacked and I am enjoying the fight… It is a battle of ideology. I stand with the poor, the farmers. The attacks are on. Mazaa aa raha hai (I am enjoying the fight). The fight will continue. I will fight 10 times harder than in the last five years.”

The case pertains to remarks made by Rahul soon after Lankesh’s murder. Lawyer and RSS worker Dhrutiman Joshi filed a defamation case against Rahul, his mother and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Yechury, and the CPM in 2017. He alleged that Rahul had said that “anybody who speaks against the ideology of the BJP, against the ideology of the RSS is pressured, beaten, attacked and even killed.”

Joshi’s complaint further states that in an interview to media, Yechury was heard and seen saying that “it was the RSS ideology and the RSS men who killed the said journalist”.

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

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