Bhiwandi Court calls Rahul Gandhi on June 12: RSS Defamation Case

Mumbai, May 4: A Bhiwandi Court in Maharashtra has asked Congress president Rahul Gandhi to appear before it on June 12 to record his submissions in a defamation case filed against the Congress president by an Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionary.

Rahul Gandhi had filed an application in the court to treat this as “summons trial” and not the “summary trial” and record detailed evidence in the case. The court held hearing on this application and adjourned the matter till June 12.

The court said that it would pass an order on the application and also record submission of Rahul Gandhi on that day and asked him to appear before it on the date.

The local RSS functionary Rajesh Kunte had filed the defamation suit against Rahul Gandhi for his statement accusing RSS of Mahatma Gandhi’s murder during an election speech in 2014 in Bhiwandi. Kunte said that the Rahul Gandhi’s alleged statement hurt the feelings of thousands of Swayamsevaks and harmed the reputation of the RSS.

While trials in such matters are normally held summarily, Rahul Gandhi filed an application last month seeking for it to be conducted as a “summons trial”.

“A summary trial is short and will be completed with just submitting the written arguments. We have sought for a summons trial which would go into the in-depth recording of the evidence,” Rahul Gandhi's lawyer Narayan Iyer said.

“The case relates to historical facts and hence, we need to rely on several documents and would like to record the evidence of experts,” Iyer said.

Rahul Gandhi had earlier moved the Supreme Court seeking quashing of the case. The apex court in July 2016 said he should not have resorted to “collective denunciation” of an organisation, and would have to face trial if he did not express regret for his remark.

The Congress leader had declined to accept the suggestion and expressed willingness to face the trial.