HC rejects PIL on Rahul Gandhi’s comments on Savarkar

The Bombay High Court dismissed a PIL against Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on Savarkar, suggesting the petitioner pursue a defamation suit instead.

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Tuesday rejected a public interest litigation (PIL) alleging that Congress leader and the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, had made “immature and irresponsible” remarks about Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. The petitioner Pankaj Phadnis, co-founder of Abhinav Bharat Congress, had also urged the court to include Savarkar’s name in the schedule to the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act.

HC rejects PIL on Rahul Gandhi’s comments on Savarkar

The Supreme Court had, on May 27, rejected a similar petition filed by Phadnis, which contended that Gandhi was violating fundamental duties by making comments against Savarkar.

In the PIL filed in the high court, Phadnis complained about Gandhi’s remark dated May 28, 2025, when he said that Savarkar considered Muslims and Christians as traitors. Legal proceedings were initiated to ensure that the distorted history peddled by Gandhi and his cohorts was corrected and young Indians knew true facts about their past, the petition said.

Disposing of the petition, the division bench of chief justice Alok Aradhe and justice Sandeep Marne raised questions on how the court could compel the respondent to read Phadnis’ petition. It suggested the petitioner seek legal recourse by filing a defamation suit against Gandhi, if needed.

A special MP/MLA court in Pune is already hearing a criminal defamation case against Gandhi filed by Satyaki Savarkar, grand nephew of Vinayak Savarkar.