Mumbai: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi appeared before a court in Bhiwandi on Saturday in connection with a 2014 defamation case filed by a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activist, even as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers waved black flags at his convoy en route to the court.
Gandhi flew into Mumbai on Saturday morning and travelled by road to Bhiwandi in Thane district for the hearing. Security was tightened along the route and around the court premises amid protests by BJP workers. The protests followed a shirtless demonstration by members of the Indian Youth Congress against Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi on Friday.
Gandhi, accompanied by Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal, party MP Varsha Gaikwad and his lawyers, reached the magistrate’s court around 10:30 am.
Advocate Narayan Iyer, who appeared for Gandhi, said the court had directed the Congress leader to appear in person and provide a fresh surety following the death of his previous guarantor, former Union minister Shivraj Patil Chakurkar, in December last year. Gandhi informed the court that Sapkal would be his new surety, Iyer said.
“Chakurkarji was our surety in this case. According to the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), it was necessary to give a new surety. Rahulji’s personal bond was also required, following which he was present before the court. We have full faith in our judicial system,” Iyer told reporters after completing the court procedure.
The court proceedings lasted around 15 minutes. Gandhi left for Mumbai soon after and did not address the media. The next hearing is scheduled for April 4, when the recording of witnesses’ testimony will continue. Gandhi’s cross-examination has not been scheduled for that day.
The case
The case stems from a speech Gandhi made during the 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign in Sonale village in Thane district. RSS activist Rajesh Kunte filed a defamation case in a magistrate’s court in Bhiwandi, alleging that the Congress leader made remarks linking the organisation to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, thereby damaging its reputation.
Acting on Kunte’s complaint, the magistrate court had summoned Gandhi to face trial in July 2014. In March 2015, the Bombay High Court turned down Gandhi’s plea to quash the case. Gandhi then moved the Supreme Court with a special leave petition, seeking permission to challenge the high court’s decision. He later withdrew the petition, expressed his willingness to face trial, and said he would not apologise.
On Saturday, the Thane police heightened security in and around the court premises ahead of Gandhi’s appearance. Shops within a 100-metre radius of the court were ordered to remain closed as a precautionary measure, officials said.
At the Mulund toll plaza, BJP workers showed black flags to Gandhi’s convoy. While Gandhi did not address the media, Sapkal criticised the BJP, saying that the LoP wasn’t afraid of its threats. “He is a people’s leader who is working fearlessly and boldly in the national interest. He is fighting to protect democracy and the Constitution. In contrast, the BJP is a party that tries to threaten everyone, but Rahulji is not afraid of their threats,” Sapkal told reporters.
Sapkal also said that US President Donald Trump has made insulting remarks about Prime Minister Modi more than a hundred times so far, and the BJP should show the courage to condemn him. “Why did Donald Trump announce a ceasefire from the United States while Operation Sindoor was underway? Why was a trade agreement with the United States, which would devastate farmers in the country, signed under pressure?” he said, questioning the BJP’s silence on these issues.