Latest news with #SatyakiSavarkar
United News of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
Rahul Gandhi cites safety concerns in Pune court over Savarkar defamation case
Pune, Aug 13 (UNI) Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, today told a court here that he faced a threat to his life from the lineage of the complainant, Satyaki Savarkar, in a defamation case against him. Rahul Gandhi urged the special MP/MLA court, which is hearing the case, to take judicial notice of what he described as "grave apprehensions" for his safety and the fairness of proceedings in the case. "Given the documented history of violent and anti-constitutional tendencies linked to the complainant's lineage, there exists a clear, reasonable, and substantial apprehension that Rahul Gandhi may face harm, wrongful implication, or other forms of targeting,' Rahul Gandhi's lawyer submitted to the court. However, Satyaki Savarkar, the grand-nephew of the late Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, stated that Rahul Gandhi's submission "is frivolous and filed with the intention of delaying the trial". "The facts mentioned in the application by Rahul Gandhi have nothing to do with the present case," Satyaki Savarkar told media persons here. Satyaki Savarkar filed a complaint against Rahul Gandhi, alleging that in a speech in London in March 2023, the Congress leader claimed that V D Savarkar had written in a book that he and five to six of his friends once beat up a Muslim man and felt happy about it. Satyaki Savarkar said no such incident ever took place and that the late Vinayak Damodar Savarkar never wrote any such thing. He had sought Rahul Gandhi's conviction under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code and compensation under Section 357 Criminal Procedure Code. The court has already granted bail to Rahul Gandhi in the case UNI XC SS
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Business Standard
6 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Savarkar defamation case: Complainant accuses Rahul Gandhi of perjury
Satyaki Savarkar, the complainant in a defamation case against Rahul Gandhi over his alleged comments against Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, has filed an application before the court seeking to prosecute the Congress leader for 'perjury' or lying under oath. The plea, filed before the special court for MPs and MLAs, accused Gandhi of making "false and misleading statements" regarding the receipt of a video clip which, Satyaki claimed, contained defamatory remarks made by Gandhi about the Hindutva ideologue. "The accused had filed a pursis (application) last month complaining that he had not received the defamatory video...," said the plea filed by Advocate Sangram Kolhatkar on behalf of Satyaki Savarkar. But Gandhi's lawyer admitted to have received all documents produced by the complainant (including the CD containing the defamatory speech), it said. Yet, Gandhi's application claimed he did not receive the same, it said. "This clearly demonstrates that the accused is attempting to evade the allegations made by the complainant, as the video and speech made by the Accused form the very crux of the present complaint," stated the application. Satyaki Savarkar, Savarkar's grand nephew, has filed a defamation complaint against Rahul Gandhi, alleging that in a speech made in London in March 2023, the Congress leader claimed that 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. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Rahul Gandhi's lawyer fears ‘harm to Congress leader', later makes U-turn
THE LAWYER representing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the criminal defamation case filed by Satyaki Savarkar, the grandnephew of Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar, on Wednesday submitted a pursis in the Pune court hearing the case, but later made a U-turn, saying he had filed the application without consulting Rahul. The pursis stated that there was 'substantial apprehension that Rahul Gandhi may face harm' in light of his current political stand and Satyeki's 'lineage from Nathuram Godse'. On Wednesday, lawyer Milind Pawar, who is representing Rahul, filed the pursis, which is a formal written submission placed before court. Pawar had earlier said the court had admitted the pursis after he filed it in the afternoon. 'Rahul Gandhi has condemned the present government by raising the slogan 'Vote Chor Sarkar'. He has produced documentary evidence alleging serious electoral irregularities, directly implicating the Election Commission in actions which, by their very nature, provoke hostility from those whose political power and ideological interests stand challenged. The apprehension of harm to Rahul Gandhi is neither abstract nor unfounded. 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,' it stated. 'Prudence demands that this apprehension be placed on record at this stage. The complainant himself has asserted descent from the associates of Mahatma Gandhi's assassins. In view of the grave history associated with such lineage, the defence harbours a genuine and reasonable apprehension that history must not be permitted to repeat itself,' it stated. However, in the evening, Pawar issued a press statement, 'The pursis dated August 13 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 Rahul Gandhi. My client has taken strong exception to filing of this pursis and has expressed his disagreement with the contents. I shall file a formal application tomorrow for withdrawal of the said pursis before the court.' When contacted earlier after the pursis was filed, Satyaki Savarkar had said, 'The statements made by defence in the pursis are completely baseless and appalling. They have claimed apprehension of harm to Rahul Gandhi which is baseless because he has been exempted from physically attending the proceedings. The defence has been filing such frivolous applications and pursis every now and then and are trying to delay the entire case.' Meanwhile on Wednesday Satyaki Savarkar's lawyer Sangram Kolhatkar moved the court seeking action against Rahul alleging he had committed perjury. 'In the past, all relevant documents have been duly provided to the advocate representing the accused, who has acknowledged the receipt. Despite this, the accused is now falsely claiming that no such material was received. This is a clear attempt to mislead the court. We therefore urge the court, in the strongest terms, to initiate appropriate action against the accused for this deliberate misrepresentation and committing perjury,' Kolhatkar said.
News18
6 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Rahul Gandhi Claims Life Threat During Savarkar Defamation Case Hearing, Seeks 'Preventive Protection'
Last Updated: Rahul Gandhi told a Pune Court of a life threat due to his political battles and the lineage of complainant Satyaki Savarkar in a defamation case, citing threats from BJP MPs. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday informed a Pune Court that he faces a threat to life, given his recent political battles and the lineage of complainant Satyaki Savarkar in the defamation case against him. The Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition made the claim in an application before the special court for cases against MPs and MLAs during the hearing of a defamation case filed by Satyaki Savarkar, grand-nephew of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, against the Congress leader, news agency PTI reported. The case, the trial of which is yet to start, pertains to certain comments allegedly made by Rahul Gandhi against V D Savarkar, freedom fighter and Hindutva ideologue. Gandhi alleged that some BJP MPs threatened him that he would 'meet the same fate" as his grandmother, former prime minister Indira Gandhi, for his remarks against Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. The application — filed before Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Amol Shinde by Gandhi's lawyer Adv Milind Pawar — 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. 'For the past 15 days, our client Rahul Gandhi has been leading a protest against the Election Commission. While this agitation was ongoing during the parliament session, there was a verbal exchange between the Prime Minister and Rahul Gandhi over the word 'Hindutva' – all of which is on record," the Congress MP's lawyer said. 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. '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 court has already granted bail to Gandhi in the case. Reacting to the plea, Satyaki Savarkar said it was frivolous, and filed with the intention of delaying the trial. "The facts mentioned in the application by Gandhi have nothing to do with the present case," he told reporters. Satyaki Savarkar has filed a complaint against Gandhi, alleging that in a speech made in London in March 2023, the Congress leader claimed that 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. She disputed the existence of such an account in Savarkar's published works and moved the Court contending the remarks were false, misleading and defamatory. She has sought Gandhi's conviction under Section 500 IPC and compensation under Section 357 CrPC. view comments Location : Pune, India, India First Published: August 13, 2025, 19:13 IST News india Rahul Gandhi Claims Life Threat During Savarkar Defamation Case Hearing, Seeks 'Preventive Protection' Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
New Indian Express
6 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Rahul Gandhi seeks preventive protection in defamation case, cites threat from 'Savarkar-Godse ideology followers'
He also staged a protest in the Parliament premises, raising slogans such as "vote chor sarkar." "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 harbor 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. Given the historical record of political violence linked to extremist factions and the complainant's political-ideological heritage, coupled with the present climate of heightened hostility, the apprehension is neither vague nor unfounded, it said, adding, "In such circumstances, preventive protection is not only prudent but is a constitutional obligation upon the state." Advocate Pawar said 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." "It cannot be ruled out that certain persons inspired by the unconstitutional ideology and views of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, and possessing the same dangerous mindset as Nathuram and Gopal Godse, may pose a threat to Gandhi's life," the lawyer said. The court has already granted bail to Gandhi in the case. Reacting to the plea, Satyaki Savarkar said it was frivolous, and filed with the intention of delaying the trial. "The facts mentioned in the application by Gandhi have nothing to do with the present case," he told reporters. Satyaki Savarkar has filed a complaint against Gandhi, alleging that in a speech made in London in March 2023, the Congress leader claimed that 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. Satyaki Savarkar said no such incident ever took place, and that V D Savarkar never wrote any such thing anywhere.
