Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday turned down an offer from the Supreme Court to get the defamation case against him settled once and for all if he would regret making a comment holding Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) responsible for Mahatma Gandhi’s death.
Refusing the offer advanced by a bench of Justices Dipak Misra and PC Pant, Rahul’s lawyer and senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal said that his client had no intention to regret his comment. He expressed confidence to prove that the defamation suit instituted against Rahul was frivolous.
The case got posted for February 17 as a judgment on the constitutional validity of defamation provisions (IPC Section 499 and 500) is pending decision with a bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra.
Sibal told the judges that several judgments are in his favour and he will argue it out once the judgment on defamation is out. The comment by Rahul was made in a political rally in March last year where he alleged that RSS was responsible for assassinating Mahatma Gandhi. The statement irked the Swayamsevaks and a case of defamation was filed by Rajesh Kunte, a RSS activist, before a Thane court.
It was alleged by Kunte, secretary of Bhiwandi unit of RSS, that Rahul told an election rally at Sonale on March 6, 2014 that “RSS people killed Gandhiji”. He said the Congress leader had sought to tarnish the reputation of the Sangh through his speech.
The Gandhi scion then approached the High Court seeking exemption from appearance and quashing of the complaint. The High Court dismissed the petition and refused to grant stay on its order. It, however, allowed Rahul to appeal against the order before Supreme Court.