New Delhi : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday told a Pune court that he faces a threat to his life from the complainant in a defamation case related to his remarks on Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. Gandhi said he has grave apprehensions about his safety due to recent political issues raked up by him and his earlier comments on Savarkar.
Gandhi said that the complainant is a direct descendant of Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi. The defamation case stems from Gandhi’s comments on Savarkar made on November 17, 2022 during his Bharat Jodo Yatra at a rally in Maharashtra’s Akola district. Gandhi allegedly referred to Savarkar as a “British servant” who received a pension from the colonial government.
There exists a clear, reasonable, and substantial apprehension that Rahul Gandhi may face harm, wrongful implication, or other forms of targeting, the application read. Gandhi further said, There is a history of violence associated with the complainant’s lineage. History should not be allowed to repeat itself,” in reference to Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination.
Gandhi also claimed that his vote chori allegations have provoked his political opponents. He said he has received “two public threats” from BJP leaders, one from Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, who called him the “number one terrorist of the country,” and another from BJP leader Tarvinder Singh Marwah.
