The political heat just dialed up a notch in Pune, where Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has formally pleaded not guilty in a criminal defamation case filed by Satyaki Savarkar — grand-nephew of the polarising Hindutva figure, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
The plea was recorded before Judicial Magistrate First Class Amol Shinde, with Gandhi represented in court by advocate Milind Pawar. With that, the matter now moves into full-fledged trial territory.
At the heart of the case is a speech Gandhi gave in London back in March 2023. In that address, he reportedly cited an episode — allegedly lifted from Savarkar’s own writings — where Savarkar and others were said to have assaulted a Muslim man and derived “pleasure” from it.
Satyaki Savarkar insists no such incident appears in any published material by his great-uncle and has accused Gandhi of spreading misinformation that maligns the legacy of a key historical figure. According to the complaint, the remarks not only bent historical fact out of shape but also amounted to personal defamation.
He has sought Gandhi’s conviction under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code and wants the court to award compensation under Section 357 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Earlier in May, the Court agreed to a shift in the format of proceedings—from a quick summary trial to a more exhaustive summons trial. Gandhi’s camp argued this shift was necessary to bring in detailed documentary and historical evidence to back his claims.
While the courtroom gets ready for a battle over words, legacies, and the ever-persistent tug-of-war over India’s past, the trial promises more than just legal fireworks — it could reshape the contours of political discourse around Savarkar, history, and freedom of expression.
