Latest news with #Pursis
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Business Standard
5 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Lawyer withdraws plea claiming threat to Rahul Gandhi in defamation case
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's lawyer on Thursday withdrew from a Pune court the plea claiming apprehension of threat to the parliamentarian from followers of Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. The lawyer, Milind Pawar, said the court has accepted withdrawal of the plea. Earlier on Wednesday, hours after filing the plea, the lawyer said it was filed without Gandhi's consent and would be withdrawn. Pawar is representing Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case filed by Satyaki Savarkar, grand-nephew of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, over certain statements made by the Congress leader against the late freedom fighter and Hindutva ideologue. He drafted the application without consulting Gandhi and the latter has taken a "strong exception to the filing of this Pursis and expressed his disagreement with its contents", the lawyer said in a press release late Wednesday evening. The application filed by Pawar earlier on Wednesday said complainant Satyaki Savarkar had admitted that he is also a direct descendant, through maternal lineage, of Nathuram Godse and Gopal Godse, principal accused in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi is the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and recently held a press conference in Delhi, placing before the nation evidence of electoral fraud by the Election Commission, the application said. "Furthermore, during the parliamentary debate on the subject of Hindutva, there was a heated exchange between the Prime Minister and Shri Rahul Gandhi, a matter well known to the public. Against this backdrop, there is little doubt that the complainant, his great-grandfathers (the Godses), those connected with the ideology of Vinayak Savarkar, and some followers of Savarkar who are presently in power, may harbour hostility or resentment towards Gandhi," the application said. "In light of the documented history of violent and anti-constitutional tendencies linked to the complainant's lineage, and considering the prevailing political climate, there exists a clear, reasonable, and substantial apprehension that Rahul Gandhi may face harm, wrongful implication, or other forms of targeting by persons subscribing to the ideology of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar," the application stated. The Pune court has already granted bail to Rahul Gandhi in the defamation case. The trial is yet to begin. Satyaki Savarkar had filed a defamation complaint against Rahul Gandhi, alleging that in a speech made in London in March 2023, the Congress leader claimed V D Savarkar had written in a book that he and five to six of his friends once beat up a Muslim man and he (Savarkar) felt happy. No such incident ever took place, and V D Savarkar never wrote any such thing anywhere, the complaint claimed.
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Savarkar defamation case: Lawyer withdraws plea claiming 'threat' to Rahul Gandhi
PUNE: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's lawyer on Thursday withdrew from a Pune court the plea claiming apprehension of threat to the parliamentarian from followers of Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. The lawyer, Milind Pawar, said the court has accepted withdrawal of the plea. Earlier on Wednesday, hours after filing the plea, the lawyer said it was filed without Gandhi's consent and would be withdrawn. Pawar is representing Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case filed by Satyaki Savarkar, grand-nephew of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, over certain statements made by the Congress leader against the late freedom fighter and Hindutva ideologue. He drafted the application without consulting Gandhi and the latter has taken a "strong exception to the filing of this Pursis and expressed his disagreement with its contents", the lawyer said in a press release late Wednesday evening. The application filed by Pawar earlier on Wednesday said complainant Satyaki Savarkar had admitted that he is also a direct descendant, through maternal lineage, of Nathuram Godse and Gopal Godse, principal accused in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.
Mint
5 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
Rahul Gandhi's lawyer to withdraw court statement citing threat to his life, says filed without LoP's ‘consent'
Rahul Gandhi's lawyer, Milind D Pawar said he will withdraw the 'threat to life' application filed on the Congress leader's behalf, stating that he filed it without 'consent' from the LoP. 'The Pursis dated 13.08.2025 was filed by me in the Court without Instructions from the client. The contents of the Pursis were drafted by me without consulting my client Shri. Rahul Gandhi. My client has taken strong exception to filing of this Pursis dated 13.08.2025 and has expressed his disagreement with the contents of the Pursis,' Rahul Gandhi's lawyer said in his statement. He also said that he will file an application for withdrawing the same on Thursday, Auust 14. Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi, in an application filed through his advocate, Pawar, told a Pune court he faces threat to life citing his recent political battles and the lineage of complainant Satyaki Savarkar in the defamation case against him. Rahul Gandhi's plea stated that Satyaki Savarkar's lineage was linked to 'documented history of violent and anti-constitutional tendencies," creating a 'clear and reasonable concern' that the Congress leader could be harmed, falsely implicated, or otherwise targeted. The defamation case in question, was filed by Satyaki Savarkar after Rahul Gandhi, in a March 2023 speech in London, cited Savarkar's writings in which Savarkar and others purportedly assaulted a Muslim man and described it as 'pleasurable". Savarkar has denied that any such account exists in Savarkar's published works, arguing the remarks were false, misleading, and defamatory.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Rahul Gandhi's lawyer raised 'threat to his life' issue without his consent: Congress
The Congress on Wednesday said Rahul Gandhi's lawyer raised the issue of threat to his life without his consent and will take back the statement in court on Thursday. Rahul Gandhi's lawyer said that he will "file a formal application tomorrow for withdrawal of the said Pursis" before the Pune court. (PTI File) An application, filed before Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Amol Shinde in Pune by Gandhi's lawyer Milind Pawar, said that Gandhi could face harm from the followers of the ideology of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and Nathuram Godse, and providing "preventive protection" is the state's constitutional obligation. Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said Gandhi's lawyer raised the issue of threat to his life in the court without his consent. "Mr Gandhi has strong objection to this and tomorrow his lawyer will take back this statement in court," Khera said in a post on X. He also shared a press release by the lawyer which said "the Pursis dated 13.08.2025 was filed by me in the Court without Instructions from the client". "The contents of the Pursis were drafted by me without consulting my client Shri. Rahul Gandhi. My client has taken strong exception to filing of this Pursis dated 13.08.2025 and has expressed his disagreement with the contents of the Pursis," Pawar said. "I shall file a formal application tomorrow for withdrawal of the said Pursis before the Hon'ble Court," he said. The case, the trial of which is yet to start, pertains to certain comments allegedly made by Gandhi against V D Savarkar, freedom fighter and Hindutva ideologue. The application said that complainant Satyaki Savarkar had admitted that he is also a direct descendant, through maternal lineage, of Nathuram Godse and Gopal Godse, principal accused in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi is the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and recently held a press conference in New Delhi, placing before the nation evidence of "electoral fraud" by the Election Commission, the application said. Gandhi also staged a protest in the Parliament complex, raising slogans such as "vote chor sarkar". "In light of the documented history of violent and anti-constitutional tendencies linked to the complainant's lineage, and considering the prevailing political climate, there exists a clear, reasonable, and substantial apprehension that Rahul Gandhi may face harm, wrongful implication, or other forms of targeting by persons subscribing to the ideology of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar," the application stated. "In such circumstances, preventive protection is not only prudent but is a constitutional obligation upon the state," it added. Advocate Pawar had said earlier this 'Pursis' or application was submitted as a precautionary measure with the objective of "legally safeguarding the fairness, integrity, and transparency of the present proceedings".
