Rahul Gandhi Alleges Life Threat in Savarkar Defamation Case
In his plea, Gandhi alleged that some BJP MPs threatened him, saying he would meet the same fate as his grandmother, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, after he made statements about Savarkar.
Pune: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, informed a special court in Pune on Wednesday that he is facing a threat to his life. He made this claim in the backdrop of the fact that the plaintiff in a defamation case against him is related to the family of Savarkar — specifically, Satyaki Savarkar, the great-nephew of freedom fighter and Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
The case, whose hearing has not yet begun, pertains to Rahul Gandhi’s alleged remarks about Savarkar.
In his plea, Gandhi alleged that some BJP MPs threatened him, saying he would meet the same fate as his grandmother, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, after he made statements about Savarkar.
Rahul Gandhi’s lawyer, Advocate Milind Pawar, said in the application filed in court that the plaintiff, Satyaki Savarkar, has admitted he is directly related through the maternal lineage to Nathuram Godse and Gopal Godse — the main accused in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.
Pawar stated that the Congress party has also filed a separate application requesting that this political and historical background be made part of the court record.
The application further said that for the past 15 days, Rahul Gandhi has been leading a protest against the Election Commission, and during this period, he also had a verbal exchange with the Prime Minister in the Parliament session, which is on record. Recently, he also presented evidence of alleged election rigging to the Election Commission at a press conference.
It added that, given the plaintiff’s family background and the current political situation, there is a real and serious fear that Rahul Gandhi may be harmed, implicated in false cases, or targeted in other ways.
The court has already granted bail to Rahul Gandhi in this case.
Reacting to the application, Satyaki Savarkar said it was baseless and aimed at delaying the trial. He said the points mentioned in Gandhi’s application have no relevance to the present case.
Satyaki Savarkar alleged that during a speech in London in March 2023, Rahul Gandhi claimed that Savarkar wrote in his book that he and five or six friends killed a Muslim man and were happy about it. According to Savarkar, no such writing exists in any of his published works, and the statement is false, misleading, and defamatory. He has sought punishment under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code and damages under Section 357 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
