Court adjourns hearing in RSS defamation case against Rahul Gandhi till March 3

However, the Congress leader’s lawyer had asked court to adjourn the case to March 10 but the court refused.

A Bhiwandi court on Monday adjourned the proceedings of a case against Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for allegedly defaming the defaming the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) over the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi to March 3 when charges will likely be framed.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi outside Bhiwandi court on Monday. (Praful Gangude/HT)

Rahul Gandhi’s lawyer said they have not received certain significant documents in the case. “The complainants have not given us complete documents such as the entire newspapers. We were instead given only cuttings of articles. We want the entire newspapers that the complainant has submitted in court as we want to know about the page, the dates on which the alleged speech articles have appeared on,” said Narayan Iyer, his counsel.

However, Iyer had asked court to adjourn the case to March 10 but the court refused.

The court proceedings coincided with Mahatma Gandhi’s 69th death anniversary. Before the start of the court proceedings, Rahul Gandhi interacted with his team of lawyers Ashok Mundargi and Narayan Iyer.

“Our battle is against the ideology which killed Mahatma Gandhi and which is removing him even from the posters,” said Rahul Gandhi while speaking to the media.

He further added that Mahatma Gandhi is in the hearts of Indians and he cannot be removed.”

Complainant Rajesh Kunte, an RSS worker, said in the court that Congress leader had defamed the Hindu right-wing organisation by blaming it for the murder of the Father of the Nation.

Mahatma Gandhi was shot dead by a Hindu nationalist, Nathuram Godse, on January 30, 1948 in the then Bombay.

In November last year, the magistrate’s court had granted bail to Rahul Gandhi in the case but asked him to attend proceedings on January 30.

The Bombay high court turned down the Congress leader’s plea to quash the criminal defamation case but had exempted him from personal appearance.

He then moved Supreme Court with a special leave petition for permission to challenge the HC dismissal of his plea but later withdrew the plea, expressing readiness to face trial.

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