Haridwar/Thane: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was recently handed a two-year jail term in a criminal defamation case, is now facing a fresh defamation case in connection with his remarks made during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. A complaint was filed with a Haridwar court on Friday, alleging that Gandhi had described the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) as "21st century Kauravas" during an address in January.
This is the third defamation case that Gandhi is facing in addition to the one for which he was recently convicted and disqualified from the Lok Sabha. In 2019, he was convicted in a criminal defamation case filed against him over his remarks about "why all thieves have Modi surname". Earlier, a Bihar special court had summoned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to record his statement on April 12 in a criminal defamation case filed against him by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushil Kumar Modi for a remark he made ahead of the 2019 general elections about the Modi surname.
The latest case was filed by an RSS volunteer, Kamal Bhadoria, and will be heard on April 12. This development has sparked criticism and debate among various political parties, with many accusing the government of diverting attention from other important issues such as the Adani-Hindenburg controversy. In another development, an RSS activist informed a court in Bhiwandi in Maharashtra that the permanent exemption given to Rahul Gandhi from appearing in the court pertaining to the case in 2014 because he is an MP now stands infructuous.
Two days ago, Kunte opposed Gandhi's application for a permanent exemption, stating that Gandhi's conviction in a defamation case disqualifies him as a Congress leader. Kunte submitted a note to the court, mentioning that Gandhi's application is pointless as he is no longer an MP. Kunte also highlighted the similarity between the present case and the offence for which Gandhi was sentenced to two years in jail.
The complainant, Rajesh Kunte, had initiated criminal proceedings for defamation against Gandhi in 2014 after the Congress leader allegedly accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of Mahatma Gandhi's assassination during a speech. Kunte claimed that this statement had slandered the reputation of the RSS.
Gandhi had pleaded not guilty and appeared before the court in June 2018. Last year, he filed an application seeking permanent exemption from appearing in court on the grounds that he was a Member of Parliament, who had to travel frequently for constituency visits and party work. However, Kunte opposed this application, stating that since Gandhi was no longer an MP after being disqualified following his conviction in a defamation case in Surat, his application for permanent exemption was pointless.
Kunte further submitted that the offence for which Gandhi was held guilty and sentenced to two years in jail in Surat was of a similar nature to the present case. The court took note of this submission and posted the matter for orders on April 1 on Gandhi's application seeking permanent exemption. The Surat court had sentenced Gandhi to two years in jail in a criminal defamation case filed against him over his remarks that "why all thieves have Modi surname." However, the court granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal in a higher court. The next day, he was disqualified as a member of the Lok Sabha.
