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Journalism of Courage
A Pune court will on May 18 hear a criminal defamation complaint filed by Satyaki Savarkar, grandnephew of V D Savarkar, over the remarks against the Hindutva icon that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had made in the UK.
“The criminal defamation complaint against Rahul Gandhi has been admitted before the court. The matter will be heard before the judicial magistrate first class Akshi Jain on May 18. We will place our arguments before the court for taking cognisance of the complaint,” said Nita Dhawade, one of the three lawyers through whom Satyaki moved the court against Gandhi.
Asked about the complaint, Satyaki said, “While talking at an event in London, Rahul Gandhi said (Vinayak Damodar) Savarkar has penned a book in which he has written that he and five-six of his friends were beating up a Muslim and felt delighted about what was happening. Rahul Gandhi then went on to ask whether this was not a cowardly act.”
But Satyaki said Savarkar did not write any such book as claimed by the Congress leader, “nor has such an incident ever happened”.
“He (Gandhi) has intentionally made false, malicious and wild allegations against Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, fully knowing the said allegations to be untrue, with the specific objective of harming the reputation and to defame the surname Savarkar…” Satyaki stated in his complaint.
The complaint further said Gandhi had deliberately made the remarks that were hurtful to Savarkar’s family members and followers and would “spark communal [tension] between two religions”.
Satyaki has sought action against Gandhi under Indian Penal Code section 500 (defamation).
