Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi exposed himself to a long-drawn legal battle with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Thursday over his allegations that people associated with the Sangh were behind the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. In a U-turn, Rahul withdrew his petition from the Supreme Court challenging the defamation proceeding initiated against him by a Maharashtra court and chose to justify his election speech of 2014 in which he sought to link RSS with the killing of Mahatma Gandhi.
Rahul’s move triggered a fierce war of words between the Congress and the RSS amid indications that the controversy will also figure prominently in the forthcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls in which the BJP hopes to play the ‘nationalism’ card in a big way.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal said his client stood by every word of his speech at an election rally in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra on March 6, 2014. Appearing before a Bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Rohinton F Nariman, Sibal said on Rahul’s behalf, “I stand by every word of what I said in the speech. I will continue to repeat that the people of RSS killed Gandhiji, and I am ready to go to trial for it.”
Sibal also cited comments by Nathuram Godse’s brother, linking RSS to the killing.
The SC allowed Sibal to withdraw his petition and directed the Judicial Magistrate court in Bhiwandi, which issued summons to Rahul on July 11, 2014, to continue with the trial. Incidentally, during the hearing on August 24, Sibal had read out an affidavit filed by Rahul before the Bombay High Court where he stated that his comment was not intended at the RSS as an institution but on persons associated with it. Following this, the Bench had asked the complainant, RSS functionary Rajesh Mahadev Kunte, to take instructions on whether recording of this statement will suffice for the case to be settled.
Appearing for Kunte, senior advocate UR lalit told the court, “As an organisation, we (RSS) are being maligned. What if he changes his statement later, it is for him to establish his bonafide by clarifying that he does not intend to involve the RSS.”
With elections to key States round the corner, lalit said that the intention of the petitioner (Rahul) is to whip up this matter to garner minority votes.
However, the court refused to grant an exemption to Rahul from personal appearance, saying this could be decided by the trial court itself.
While the BJP said the Congress vice-president would be forced to apologise after making U-turns twice on the matter, the Congress defended the comments saying this was an ideological battle for him, and the party stood by its leader. The RSS too questioned the Congress leader’s U-turn and asked why he avoided trial in the case for two years.
“Why Rahul Gandhi avoided the trial for two years under one pretext or otherIJ Is he scared to face the truthIJ
He keeps on taking U-turns,” RSS communications department head Manmohan Vaidya said.
Firing a fresh salvo at RSS, Rahul in his Parliamentary constituency at Amethi on Thursday, said RSS followers did not participate in the freedom struggle and that people who want to “divide” the country “are now posing as nationalists.” “The RSS people did not participate in the freedom struggle. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians...Everyone did. But not the RSS,” Rahul said.
“Those very men who want to divide the country, those who salute their own flag and never hoist the Tricolor at their own organization, are now posing as nationalists. These people are cowards. They turn around and run away when anyone faces them (confronts them),” he said.
Attacking Rahul on his comment, the BJP said Rahul was known for his frequent U- turns which have damaged his image as that of his party too and would “apologize” again.
BJP leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said it is clear Rahul, and the Congress were deliberately attacking the RSS, a respected nationalist organization. “He has done U-turns twice, and he will apologize again”, Hussain said. Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy said Rahul Gandhi suffered from “amnesia.”
Hussain asserted that if the Congress leader continues with these kinds of comments, the party may face a bleak future “reducing its lok Sabha tally from 44 lS MPs to only four..”. He said several Congress leaders in the past made similar accusation “but people rejected it”.
Defending Rahul, the Congress said this was an “ideological battle” for him, and the party stood by its leader. “This is a fight of principle and ideology. Both Rahul Gandhi and the Congress Party will continue to fight this ideological battle,” said AICC chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala.
“There were misconceptions being raised by people of BJP and RSS in the public domain. On clear, specific and unequivocal instructions of Rahul Gandhi, his counsel Kapil Sibal, told the apex court that Rahul Gandhi stands by his statement on the murder of Mahatma Gandhi,” said Surjewala.
“Rahul Gandhi had said it earlier and will repeat his statement in future as he believes that this is the truth of this nation, a historical truth that cannot be denied,” he added.