Every time Rahul Gandhi said something about Savarkar, there was a lot of fuss. In one such case, the Pune court ordered Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to appear before it on October 23. Recently, a Nashik court also summoned Rahul Gandhi in a separate defamation case.
The case in which Rahul Gandhi is appearing has been filed by the family of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. In April 2023, Satyaki Savarkar, grandson of Veer Savarkar’s brother, filed a complaint against Rahul Gandhi for defaming Savarkar.
This complaint goes against the statement given by Rahul Gandhi in London in March 2023. And similarly, there is a complaint about Rahul Gandhi’s statement in a press conference in November 2022 that the Congress leader, through his words and images, deliberately damaged Savarkar’s reputation and tried to defame his image in society.
Whenever Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, is asked about apologizing over the Savarkar issue, he says, ‘Rahul Gandhi thinks… my name is not Savarkar, my name is Gandhi.. .Gandhi. He’s not like anyone. Don’t apologize.
What is the defamation case against Rahul Gandhi?
In London, Rahul Gandhi narrated an incident saying that Savarkar had written in his book. Rahul Gandhi claims that some of Savarkar’s friends had beaten a Muslim and he felt happy.
Rahul Gandhi said, ‘Look… if five people beat up one person and one person feels happy about it, then it is cowardice… if you have to fight, then you should go and fight with one person alone…’ . but not five or ten people…’
Satyaki Savarkar has said in his complaint filed before the court that Rahul Gandhi has been defaming and insulting Veer Savarkar on different occasions for years… On March 5, 2023, at an Overseas Congress program in Britain, Rahul Gandhi deliberately false and unfounded allegations were made against Savarkar, due to which his reputation was damaged.
Satyaki Savarkar, grandson of Vinayak’s brother Damodar Savarkar, has filed a defamation complaint against Rahul Gandhi in a trial court in Pune, before which Rahul Gandhi has been summoned.
What will be the impact of the Savarkar case on the Maharashtra elections?
Now the question is, how much impact can Rahul Gandhi’s appearance during the Maharashtra Assembly elections have on the relations between the Congress and its allies in Mahavikas Aghadi, and how much can this case affect the Congress’ performance in the elections?
1. There is a constant discord over the seat distribution in the opposition Mahavikas Aghadi alliance for the Maharashtra elections, and that is why the seat distribution is not being finalised. Due to its better performance than its allies in the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress has claimed more seats, but Savarkar’s defamation case against Rahul Gandhi may put the Congress on the defensive.
2. Uddhav Thackeray has said: Savarkar is like a god to us and his insult will not be tolerated. Even as Rahul Gandhi made a statement comparing Gandhi and Savarkar and refusing to apologize, Sanjay Raut and Uddhav Thackeray expressed strong objections to Rahul Gandhi’s statement.
3. NCP leader Sharad Pawar has already praised Savarkar: “Many of the things he said have had a scientific and social impact… especially his decision to build a temple next to his house… and support a person from the Valmiki community like the priest in it… This is a progressive approach.
4. Despite the objections of Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray, Rahul Gandhi stands firm on his stand regarding Savarkar, and every time the question of apologizing for Savarkar’s statement arises before him, every time he repeats the same thing that His name is Gandhi, not Savarkar. .
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has always seen himself alone on the Veer Savarkar issue, and this is especially important for the Congress during the Maharashtra Assembly elections.
