Congress MLA reprimanded for ‘defamatory’ remarks on Savarkar by Gujarat Assembly Speaker Rajendra Trivedi

Gujarat Assembly Speaker Rajendra Trivedi on Thursday formally reprimanded Congress MLA from Chotila Rutvik Makwana for his recent “defamatory” comments against Vinayak Savarkar, the proponent of Hindutva ideology. Trivedi passed a formal order in this regard that was pronounced in the House immediately after the Question Hour. In his order, the Speaker also ordered Makwana to refrain from making remarks that may “damage the dignity of the House or reputation of great personalities”.

In his order, the Speaker noted that Makwana had made the denunciatory and defamatory remarks against Savarkar while discussion of a question during Question Hour on March 18. Following the comments, Chief Whip of the Government Pankaj Desai had requested to expunge the remarks from the record of the House. At the same time, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama had demanded an apology from Makwana.

“At that time, I had ordered to expunge those words from the proceedings of the House. And I had informed that if the member (Makwana) sticks to his words, then he will have to produce evidence in that regard,” the Speaker said.

He also added that Makwana had produced some articles published by two private media houses, a tweet of a former Governor of Reserve Bank of India and references from a book written by one Jaywant Joglekar as evidence before him on March 22.

Speaker Trivedi said that the evidence produced by Makwana did not support the allegations levelled against Savarkar by him. “Because, they are just personal opinions of concerned magazine or writer. These personal opinions cannot be considered as authorized evidence,” Trivedi said.

He also added that as per the rules of the Assembly, if a member wants to make allegations against a person then he/she has to inform the Speaker and the concerned minister about the same in advance so that the minister can come with information to give an answer.
In the case of Makwana, Trivedi added, he did not inform the Speaker or the concerned minister in advance.
“In the instant case, it seems to me that the member has made the allegations to bring down the reputation of a freedom fighter like Veer Savarkar in the eyes of the public,” Trivedi added.

The Speaker finally ordered, “I order Makwana not to make any allegations or comments that damage the dignity of the House or a reputed person. And in the instant case, reprimand you for the allegations made by you. And in future, (one ought) not level allegations against country’s great personalities.”