New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi got an earful Friday from the Supreme Court, which pulled up the Leader of Opposition for his remarks against V.D. Savarkar.
A bench of Justice Dipankar Datta and Manmohan said, “You don’t treat freedom fighters like this.
The bench cautioned Gandhi from repeating the remarks, saying it will initiate “suo motu proceedings” against him if such statements are made in the future.
The bench was hearing Gandhi’s appeal against Allahabad High Court order that rejected his plea to quash the summons issued against him by a Lucknow court. Gandhi was summoned on a complaint filed by an advocate who alleged that the Congress leader had defamed Savarkar in 2022 by calling him a “servant of British” who “received a pension from them”. Gandhi had made the remark during a visit to Akola, Maharashtra.
On Friday, the bench at the outset, reminded Gandhi that his grandmother, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, had praised Savarkar in a letter addressed to the freedom fighter.
“Does your client know that his grandmother, when she was the Prime Minister, also sent a letter praising the gentleman (Savarkar). You don’t treat freedom fighters like this when you know the history. Why do you comment like this?” Justice Datta asked.
He then pointed out to senior advocate A.M. Singhvi, who appeared for Gandhi, “Does your client know Mahatma Gandhi also used “your faithful servant” while addressing the Viceroy?”
The judge quipped whether that would make him a servant of the British too.
Though the bench stayed the hearing against Gandhi in Lucknow, observing that he had a “good case on law”, Justice Datta told Singhvi that the Congress leader should refrain from making irresponsible statements about freedom fighters.
“Let him not make irresponsible statements about the freedom fighters. Is this the way you treat freedom fighters?” the judge observed verbally, without specifying the condition in its written order.
“You cannot make such statements without knowing history or geography of freedom fighters,” it went on to say.
The bench disagreed with Singhvi’s argument that Gandhi had no intention of creating animosity.
Without mincing any words, Justice Datta said: “He is a political leader of a political party? You go to Maharashtra and make a statement? He (Savarkar) is worshipped there. Don’t do this.”
“We will grant you stay…but we will restrain you. 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,” Justice Datta said, recalling how judges of Calcutta High Court used to address the Chief Justice as “your servant” during the British era.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
Please take suo moto action against those who talk ill of the freedom fighter Nehru as well
Rahul Gandhi should be in jail for attacking and defaming a noted freedom fighter.