The grandnephew of Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar has objected to Rahul Gandhi’s plea to present ‘historical facts and evidence’ in a Pune court to support his remarks from a 2023 speech, which led to a defamation case.
Satyaki Ashok Savarkar, a Maharashtra-based Hindutva worker had filed the defamation case in April 2023, over Rahul Gandhi’s remarks made in London in March that year, where he alleged that VD Savarkar and his associates had allegedly attacked a Muslim man and found it “pleasurable.”
The Pune court is set to hear the case on March 19.
Satyaki Savarkar, while filing the case, refuted Rahul Gandhi’s claim, saying that no such instances have been mentioned by VD Savarkar in his writings.
Gandhi had recently submitted a plea at the Pune court, where the case is being heard, that the nature of the trial be converted from a summary trial to a summons trial, which would allow him to bring historical facts and detailed evidence.
Savarkar meanwhile, objected to the same by stating, “The accused (Rahul Gandhi) has raised issues regarding certain historical facts, which are irrelevant to the core subject matter of this case.”
The Pune court is set to hear the defamation case on March 19, with the court earlier allowing permanent exemption from appearing in the court in the case.
The counsel representing Rahul Gandhi had said that there could be a threat to Gandhi’s life in Pune, owing to the place being the hometown of Naturam Godse, and the complainant Satyaki Ashok Savarkar being the descendant of VD Savarkar, against whom the murder of Mahatma Gandhi was levelled.
VD Savarkar was later acquitted of the case while Naturam Godse was found to be guilty and convicted to death sentence.
