'Complainant Related To Godse': Rahul Gandhi Alleges Life Threat In Savarkar Case, Cites BJP Leaders' Remarks
Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday told a special MP/MLA court in Pune that he fears for his life in connection with the ongoing defamation case filed by Satyaki Savarkar. He urged the court to take note of his “grave apprehensions” about personal safety and the fairness of the proceedings, citing the complainant’s claimed family ties to Nathuram Godse and Gopal Godse.
The matter stems from remarks Gandhi made during a speech in London in March 2023, which Savarkar alleges were defamatory. The court will hear the case again on 10 September.
Rahul Gandhi Cites Godse and Savarkar Family Links
In his application, filed through advocate Milind Dattatraya Pawar, Gandhi stated that Satyaki Savarkar had “categorically admitted” in a 29 July filing that he is a direct descendant through his maternal lineage of Nathuram Godse and Gopal Godse, both principal accused in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, and also claimed descent from Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
“Given the documented history of violent and anti-constitutional tendencies linked to the complainant’s lineage… there exists a clear, reasonable, and substantial apprehension that Shri Rahul Gandhi may face harm, wrongful implication, or other forms of targeting,” the plea read. It further argued that the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi “was not an act of impulse” but a calculated conspiracy rooted in a specific ideology.
The application sought “preventive protection” as a precautionary measure to ensure the fairness, integrity and transparency of the trial.
Rahul Gandhi’s plea also highlighted his recent political interventions, including the slogan “Vote Chor Sarkar” (“Vote Thief Government”) raised in Parliament on 11 August, and his submission of documents alleging electoral irregularities. He claimed these actions had provoked hostility from political rivals.
The Congress leader’s application also referred to his statement in Parliament that “a true Hindu is never violent. A Hindu cannot spread hatred. The BJP spreads hatred and violence, and you do not represent Hindus.” According to Rahul Gandhi, this drew immediate criticism from BJP leaders, with Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi accusing him of insulting Hindus and demeaning his position.
Public Threats, Defamation Charges
The plea further cited two alleged public threats — one from Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, who called Rahul Gandhi “the number one terrorist of the country”, and another from BJP leader Tarvinder Singh Marwah.
In April 2023, Satyaki Savarkar filed a criminal defamation complaint against Rahul Gandhi in a Pune court. He alleged that during a speech in London in March 2023, Rahul Gandhi made false accusations about the Hindutva ideologue Savarkar.
According to the complaint, Rahul Gandhi told the gathering that Savarkar had written in a book that he and five or six of his friends were beating a Muslim man, and that Savarkar was pleased by this.
Satyaki Savarkar has denied such an account exists in published works and has sought Rahul Gandhi’s conviction under Section 500 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (previously IPC) and compensation under Section 357 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
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