‘Does he know his grandmother…’: SC pulls up Rahul Gandhi for comments on Veer Savarkar

The Supreme Court pulled up Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, for his remarks on Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. The apex court called his remarks “irresponsible” and asked him not to “mock our freedom fighters”. The court, however, stayed the criminal proceedings against Gandhi. 

The case stems from the Congress leader's comments on Savarkar made on November 17, 2022, during his Bharat Jodo Yatra at a rally in Maharashtra's Akola district. He called Savarkar a “British servant” who received a pension from the colonial government. 

Rahul Gandhi had moved the apex court challenging an order of the Allahabad High Court, which refused to quash summons issued against him in the defamation case. Advocate Nripendra Pandey filed a complaint against Gandhi for intentionally insulting Savarkar.

A bench, comprising justices Dipankar Datta and Manmohan, asked Gandhi to not make such statements in the future. It said that the court might take suo motu cognisance of such remarks. 

“Does your client know even Mahatma Gandhi used the phrase ‘your faithful servant’? Does he know his grandmother also sent a letter to the freedom fighter?,” the court asked senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi who appeared for Gandhi.

“You are a political leader. Why should you make comments like this? Don’t do this. If the intention wasn’t to provoke, then why make such statements?,” it said. 

The top court issued notices to the complainant and the Uttar Pradesh government seeking their responses on Gandhi’s plea.

A case under various penal provisions for alleged offences like 'promoting enmity between classes' and 'public mischief' was lodged against Rahul Gandhi by Pandey.