Rahul says RSS killed Mahatma, ready to face trial

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday told the Supreme Court that he stood by his remarks blaming the RSS for the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi and said he was ready to face a trial for alleged defamation of the ideological parent of the ruling BJP.

Gandhi's lawyer Kapil Sibal told the Supreme Court that the Congress Vice President stood by what he had said about the RSS and the 1948 assasination of the Mahatma.

Rahul Gandhi withdrew a petition before the apex court that had sought quashing of the defamation proceeding in a Maharashtra trial court. 

The bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman allowed the petition to be withdrawn but did not grant Rahul Gandhi an exemption from appearing before the trial court.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activist Rajesh Kunte filed the defamation case against the Congress leader over his remarks at a 2014 election rally that people associated with the Hindutva group killed Mahatma Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi had moved the Supreme Court challenging the Bombay High Court order refusing to interfere with the defamation case against him.

The Congress leader told the Supreme Court through his lawyer last week that he did not blame the RSS but "people associated with it" for the Mahatma's assassination.