A court in Assam has summoned All India Congress Committee (AICC) vice president Rahul Gandhi over a defamation case filed by a member of the Rastriya Swyamsevak Sangh (RSS). The court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Kamrup (Metropolitan) district after examining witnesses issued the summon on Saturday and asked the AICC leader to appear in the court on September 29 this year.
It may be mentioned here that RSS member Anjan Bora had filed a defamation suit against Gandhi for trying to tarnish the image of the RSS. Gandhi had on December last year — after a scheduled visit to Barpeta district —said the RSS workers had not let him enter the famous Barpeta Satra.
"Rahul Gandhi was supposed to visit the 15th century Satra on December 12, 2015. lots of people were waiting for him there, but Gandhi did not visit the Satra and instead took part in a public rally in the area," said senior advocate of Gauhati High Court Bijan Mahajan on Saturday.
"However, Gandhi told the media the next day in New Delhi that he was not allowed to enter the Satra by RSS members. Following this, Anjan Bora filed a defamation suit against Gandhi under section 499 and 500 of the IPC," said Mahajan, adding that after examining the witnesses, the court issued the summon against Gandhi.
It may be mentioned here that then Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi while defending the AICC leader then said the State Government had information from Intellegence agencies that the RSS had conspired with the local committee that runs the Satra not to allow Gandhi to enter it.
The local people of the area as well as the Satradhikar (headman that runs the Satra), however, denied the allegations leveled by Gandhi and Gogoi and clarified that there was no conspiracy by the RSS to obstruct the movement of Gandhi into the Satra.
The Satra as well as the people of the district also demanded an apology from the Congress party and the AICC leader for dragging in the name of Satra.
In New Delhi, on the question of reaction of Congress on the summons to Rahul Gandhi, Congress spokesman Manish Tewari said this is classical fascism at work.
"The RSS has a PhD in filing cases against people all across the country, as an act of harassment and intimidation, but be that as it may, let it be very clear that the Congress is not going to be intimidated by all these extremely fascist tactics and whatever may be their game plan, it will be replied to, both politically and legally," Tewari said in a
statement.