NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday castigated senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his remarks against Veer Savarkar and restrained him from any irresponsible comments against the freedom fighter in future.
The top court, while staying the trial court's order issuing summon against him for his controversial remarks against Savarkar, told him in clear terms against making further derogatory remarks against the freedom fighters.
"Is this the way you treat your freedom fighters. Let him not make any irresponsible statement," a bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Manmohan told senior advocate A M Singhvi, appearing for Rahul Gandhi.
The court told the counsel that Savarkar is worshipped in Maharashtra and Rahul Gandhi should not make such statement as he is a political leader of a party.
"Does your client know Mahatma Gandhi also used "your faithful servant" while addressing the Viceroy? Does your client know that his grandmother, when she was the Prime Minister, also sent a letter praising the gentleman. You don't treat freedom fighters like this when you know the history. Why do you comment like this," the bench asked the counsel, saying it would stay the defamation proceedings against him but restrain from making any further such statement.
"Let's be clear, any further statement and we will take suo moto and no question of sanction. We will not allow you to speak anything about the freedom fighters. They have given us freedom," the bench told the counsel.
The bench categorically told Rahul Gandhi that he would face consequences if he made such remarks in future.
The Congress leader Rahul Gandhi approached the Supreme Court, challenging the April 4, 2025 order of the Allahabad High Court which refused to quash the summons against him in a case of defamatory remarks against Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
Gandhi had allegedly commented that Savarkar was a British servant who received a pension, during his Bharat Jodo Yatra at a rally in Maharashtra's Akola district, on November 17, 2022.
Hurt by this comment, advocate Nripendra Pandey had filed a complaint against Gandhi in December, 2024 in the Lucknow court, which issued summons to Gandhi.
The trial court had said his remarks had spread hatred and ill-will in society.
Rahul Gandhi approached the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad HC, which also rejected his plea.
Justice Subhash Vidyarthi of the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court had said that he has the option to approach the sessions judge with a plea under Section 397 (power to revise trial court’s order) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
In his complaint, advocate Pandey accused Gandhi of intentionally insulting Savarkar during the rally, as a part of a well-planned conspiracy to defame Savarkar.
