Bombay High Court dismisses petition against Rahul Gandhi over remarks on Savarkar
The 125-page petition, filed by Professor Pankaj K. Phadnis, 65, from Mumbai and the founding president of Abhinav Bharat Congress, a public policy think tank, mentioned history and research work by the petitioner on Savarkar.
The petitioner said that Mr. Gandhi, in London in March 2023, had tried to paint Savarkar as someone who takes pleasure in the humiliation of Muslims.
He further said that Mr. Gandhi tried to portray Savarkar as a coward and in a derogatory reference at a press conference held on March 25, 2023, where he said, 'My name is not Savarkar, I am Gandhi and Gandhi does not make apologies to anyone.'
'Rahul Gandhi is LoP in Lok Sabha and could well become Prime Minister of India in the future. Therefore, he cannot be allowed to take liberties with facts to denigrate respected leaders of freedom struggle and prevent the young from being in a position to fulfil their fundamental duties. The only way to prevent him from causing harm to the nation is by an expert such as the petitioner to step into the box, depose comprehensive facts about Shri Savarkar and allow himself to be cross examined by Rahul Gandhi to establish facts once and for all,' the petitioner said, asking the court to direct Mr. Gandhi to read the contents of his petition and learn about Savarkar.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne observed that the Supreme Court had already dismissed a similar petition filed by Mr. Phadnis and said that the court could not direct Mr. Gandhi to read the contents of the petition and remove his ignorance about Vinayak Savarkar. 'In your petition, your prayer is to direct him to personally study and read your petition. How can the court compel him to read your petition? This court cannot issue directions to Rahul Gandhi to study the contents of this petition and remove ignorance about the contribution of Savarkar. We do not know if he will become Prime Minister or not. Do you know that he will become the Prime Minister?' the Bench noted and disposed of the petition.
The court noted that a criminal defamation case had already been filed against Mr. Gandhi by Satyaki Savarkar, grand nephew of Vinayak Savarkar, and that the same was pending before a special MP/MLA Court in Pune.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
27 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Veteran Congress leader C.V. Padmarajan passes away
Veteran Congress leader C.V. Padmarajan passed away in Kollam on Wednesday. He was 93. Doctors attributed the cause of death to old-age ailments. Mr. Padamarajan had handled Finance, Power, and Fisheries in the K. Karunakaran and A.K. Antony governments. He was twice elected to the Assembly from the Chathanoor constituency in Kollam district. Mr. Padmarajan also served as the president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee from 1983 to 1987. Born in Paravur, Kollam, in 1931, Mr. Padmarajan began his political life as a member of the All Travancore Students' Congress during the heydays of the Independence movement. He later graduated in law and served as District Government Pleader and Public Prosecutor in Kollam. Mr. Padmarajan's wife, Vasantha, and two sons survive him. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressed his condolences to Mr. Padmarajan's family, friends and Congress workers. He said the veteran leader had made his mark as a lawyer, co-operator, and parliamentarian. Mr. Vijayan said that Mr. Padmarajan had risen in the ranks of the Congress through sheer hard work and grassroots-level organisational skills. As a legislator and Minister, Mr. Padmarajan was adroit in presenting the government's case in the Assembly and outside. Mr. Vijayan said Mr. Padamarajan's friendships transcended politics. Mr. Padmarajan had insisted that he [Mr. Vijayan] inaugurate the foundation coming up in Mr. Padmarajan's name in Kollam. The Chief Minister remembered Mr. Padmarajan as a politician who led a simple life and rarely veered from his opinions. Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan said Mr. Padmarajan was responsible for acquiring the KPCC headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, known as the Indira Bhavan. 'Mr Padmarajan was a symbol of Congress's unity and resolve', he added. All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal remembered him as a mentor and guide to a generation of Congress leaders. He described Mr. Padmarajan as a humanist and staunch secularist. KPCC president Sunny Joseph, MLA, also condoled Mr. Padmarajan's passing.
Time of India
40 minutes ago
- Time of India
Should ghosts vote in Bihar, BJP asks Rahul
Patna: The BJP has taken a swipe at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi over his criticism of the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. BJP state spokesperson Neeraj Kumar on Wednesday questioned the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, asking whether he wanted "bhoot-pret" (ghosts) to vote in the upcoming Bihar assembly elections. While addressing a rally in Assam on Wednesday, Rahul alleged that a new voter list was being prepared in Bihar by removing the names of lakhs of people. "I want to warn the people of Assam that what they (BJP) did in Maharashtra and what they are trying to do in Bihar, they will try to do the same in Assam as well. It is the responsibility of all of you and us that we do not let them do this," Rahul said. According to the Election Commission of India (ECI) report released on Wednesday, more than 35 lakh (35,69,435) of the total 7.90 crore voters in Bihar were not found at their addresses. "Probably 12,55,620 (1.59%) of them were deceased electors and 17,37,336 (2.2%) have probably shifted permanently so far," the ECI stated. The BJP's Neeraj claimed the Congress and RJD wanted even the dead to vote. "The names of those who have died in the last 22 years are still present in the voter list. Should the ECI not remove their names? Does Congress want infiltrators and illegal citizens to vote too? Congress wants to win elections with the help of fake voters," Neeraj alleged. "Article 326 makes it clear that only Indian citizens have the right to vote. But Congress is constantly opposing constitutional institutions," he said. BJP ally HAM(S) national president and minister Santosh Suman also criticised the RJD, claiming they had no remorse for the 15 years of jungle raj and were once again trying to scare the people of Bihar to garner votes.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
BRS flays Cong for comprising State's interest
Former Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao has accused the Congress government led by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy of compromising the interests of Telangana and misleading its people with regard to river water issues. At a press conference here on Wednesday, Mr. Rao said the words and actions of Mr. Revanth Reddy are contradictory. He noted that the CM had hinted that he would boycott the meeting in New Delhi if Andhra Pradesh's Banakacherla project was discussed. 'Why did he rush to Delhi at midnight. What prompted this sudden trip? What secret understanding was reached in the dead of night?, he questioned. He pointed out that the CM had falsely claimed that Banakacherla was not on the agenda. In reality, it was the first item on the agenda. While Andhra Pradesh Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu confirmed discussions on Banakacherla and the formation of a committee, Mr. Revanth Reddy denied any such discussion. 'Is this the level of honesty expected from a Chief Minister?,' he wondered. Mr. Rao pointed out that Central Water Commission, GRMB, and the Polavaram Project Authority had all rejected the pre-feasibility report for Banakacherla. 'These statutory bodies, created through Parliament, denied approvals. How then did the Centre convene this meeting? Why did Revanth agree to a committee? His actions are nothing short of signing a death warrant for Telangana,' Mr. Rao said. On telemetry, he clarified that installations up to Pothireddypadu were already set up during the BRS tenure and BRS had proposed similar arrangements at all projects. He criticised the move to shift the KRMB office from Hyderabad to Vijayawada, calling it a betrayal.
