Rahul Gandhi has knocked on the doors of the Supreme Court, challenging a lower court summons over his controversial remarks on Vinayak Damodar Savarkar—comments that continue to echo through India’s political corridors.
The Supreme Court Bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Manmohan is scheduled to hear Gandhi’s petition today. The Congress leader is contesting a ruling from the Allahabad High Court, which recently refused to intervene in a case stemming from comments he made during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in November 2022.
Back then, Gandhi had accused Savarkar of being a British collaborator who allegedly drew a pension from colonial rulers. Those statements prompted advocate Nripendra Pandey to seek legal action, claiming Gandhi’s words were intended to stir up social unrest and malign the legacy of a freedom fighter.
While an Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate had initially dismissed Pandey’s complaint in mid-2023, the Sessions Court revived the matter, ultimately leading to a summons issued by a Lucknow Magistrate in December 2024. The court found Gandhi’s statements prima facie inflammatory under Sections 153A and 505 of the Indian Penal Code—laws concerning promotion of enmity and public mischief.
Gandhi’s attempt to quash the summons through the High Court failed when Justice Subhash Vidyarthi pointed out that he should have first approached the Sessions Court using available legal remedies.
Now, with the top court set to weigh in, the matter has escalated beyond just one politician’s remarks—it’s become a flashpoint in the ongoing tug-of-war over historical memory, national icons, and political speech in modern India.
Meanwhile, the trial court recently slapped Gandhi with a ₹200 fine for skipping an appearance, adding a touch of courtroom drama to an already charged case.
