Bhiwandi : Congress leader and LoP Rahul Gandhi appeared in Bhiwandi court on Saturday for a 2014 defamation case filed by an RSS activist.
According to the news agency PTI, Rahul Gandhi named the Congress Maharashtra Chief Harshwardhan Sapkal as his new guarantor.
Meanwhile, a protest led by BJP workers showed black flag to Gandhi on his way to Bhiwandi Court who reached along with Sakpal and some other senior leaders in Thane district.
What Is The 2014 Defamation Case ?
During the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi did a rally at Sonale village where he alleged that RSS was responsible for the death of Mahatma Gandhi.
The false claim made him fall into legal court battle as RSS activist Rajesh Kunte filed a complaint against him saying he maligned the image of Sangha under section 500 (defamation ) of the IPC Act then which is now Section 356 of the BNS. The re-examination and cross-examination are done during the trials.
Rajesh Kunte was also present during the trial. He said, “I have full faith that the RSS has no connection with Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination. This has been proven many times. Therefore, I am fully confident that we will win this case.”
What Made Rahul Gandhi Appear In Court ?
Following the death of Rahul Gandhi’s previous guarantor who was former union Minister Patil Chakurkar, his death which took place in December last year compelled Rahul Gandhi to be present before the court.
The legal proceedings in which Rahul had to sign fresh bail bonds were completed within a half hour. Sakpal represented him as his new guarantor.
Narayan Iyer, Gandhi’s counsel, assured that the procedural formalities were successful. He said,“This is a private defamation complaint, and the hearing concerned is furnishing a fresh surety for Rahul Gandhi after the earlier surety holder, Shivraj Patil Chakurkar, passed away. A new surety was submitted by Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee President Harshwardhan Sapkal, and the court accepted it. The case is proceeding on a fast-track basis, and the party is cooperating with the court with full faith in the judicial system. There is no question of an apology, as Rahul Gandhi has already stated before the Supreme Court that he is ready to face trial and present the truth before the court.”