New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday came down heavily on Rahul Gandhi over his “irresponsible” remarks against Veer Savarkar, saying that it won’t allow such comments against freedom fighters and warning of suo motu action if repeated.
The Congress leader had moved the top court, challenging an Allahabad High Court order which refused to quash summons against him in a defamation case.
The case against Rahul was based on his comments on Savarkar that he made on November 17, 2022, during his Bharat Jodo Yatra at a rally in Maharashtra’s Akola district. The Leader of Opposition had referred to Savarkar as a “British servant” who received a pension from the colonial government.
The Supreme Court pulled up Rahul, but stayed the criminal proceedings against him.
“Let’s not mock our freedom fighters,” a bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Manmohan said.
The bench asked senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, who appeared for Rahul, whether he knew that even Mahatma Gandhi used the words such as “your faithful servant” in his communications to the Britishers, reported PTI.
Countering Singhvi’s argument that charges of promoting enmity and public mischief were not made out against Rahul, the bench remarked: “You are most obedient.. does your client know that Mahatma Gandhi also used ‘your faithful servant’ while addressing the viceroy? Can Mahatma Gandhi be called a ‘servant of Britishers’ merely because he addressed himself to the viceroy as ‘your servant’. In those days, even I have seen, our judges of the Calcutta High Court used to address Chief Justice as writing your servant,” said Justice Datta.
“Does your client know that his grandmother (Indira Gandhi), when she was the Prime Minister, also sent a letter praising this very gentleman (Savarkar)?” he added.
“So, let’s not make irresponsible statements about freedom fighters. You have made a good point on law, you are entitled to stay. We are not saying anything on that. Any further statement by him (Gandhi) will be taken up suo motu. No more words on our freedom fighters…. They have given us freedom and we treat them like this? This is not the way,” the bench warned.
The apex court issued notice to Uttar Pradesh government and complainant advocate Nripendra Pandey, and stayed the Allahabad High Court order which had refused to quash trial court’s summons against Rahul.
