Pune: Rahul Gandhi Granted Bail in Defamation Case Over Remarks on Savarkar
Pune: Rahul Gandhi Granted Bail in Defamation Case Over Remarks on Savarkar
Pune: January 11, 2025
A special Pune MP/MLA court granted bail to Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Friday in a defamation case linked to remarks he made about Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar during a speech in London in March 2023.
Gandhi, who appeared before the court via video conferencing, was granted bail on a surety bond of ₹25,000, with senior Congress leader Mohan Joshi standing as surety. The court also granted him a permanent exemption from appearing in further proceedings, according to his lawyer, Advocate Milind Pawar.
The defamation case was filed by Satyaki Savarkar, the grandnephew of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. In his complaint, Satyaki alleged that Gandhi falsely claimed Savarkar had written in a book about assaulting a Muslim man and expressing joy over it—a statement Satyaki contended was baseless.
The case stems from Gandhi’s controversial remarks during a speech in London in March 2023, where he referenced Savarkar’s writings. The matter is now scheduled for a hearing on February 18, 2025.
This is not the first time Gandhi has invoked Savarkar to criticize the BJP. During the Winter Session of Parliament in December 2024, he quoted Savarkar’s views on Manusmriti and the Indian Constitution, sparking fresh debates and controversies in political circles.
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