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The Supreme Court has pulled up Rahul Gandhi over his repeated remarks on Veer Savarkar, asking the Congress leader not to make statements “without knowing history”.
Supreme Court slams Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on Savarkar (PTI Image)
The Supreme Court on Friday warned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi against passing defamatory statements about freedom fighters such as Veer Savarkar and said that he cannot make remarks “without knowing the history”.
The top court further said that it would take suo motu cognisance of the matter if Rahul Gandhi repeats such statements.
The apex court’s remarks came while staying criminal defamation proceedings pending against the Congress leader in Lucknow court over his “servant of the British” remarks against the freedom fighter, who spent over a decade in Cellular Jail on the Andaman Islands.
Supreme Court Raps Rahul Gandhi Over Savarkar Remarks
A bench comprising Justice Dipankar Datta and Manmohan stayed the proceedings against Rahul. However, as soon as the matter was taken up, Justice Datta expressed his objection to the Lok Sabha LoP’s remark that Savarkar was a servant of the British and asked if Mahatma Gandhi could be described in the same manner merely because he used the term “your faithful servant” in his letters to the Viceroy.
“Does your client know Mahatma Gandhi also used ‘your faithful servant’ while addressing the Vice Roy? Does your client know that his grandmother, when she was the Prime Minister, also sent a letter praising the gentleman?” the SC asked senior lawyer and Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who represented Rahul Gandhi in the court.
“So therefore, let him not make irresponsible statements about the freedom fighters. You have laid down a good point of law and you are entitled to stay. We know that. But this is not the way you treat our freedom fighters. When you don’t know anything of the history or geography of India…” Justice Datta said.
‘Somebody Will Say Mahatma Gandhi Was Servant Of British’: SC
The court underlined that during the British times, even the judges of the Calcutta High Court also used to address the Chief Justice as “your servant”.
“Someone does not become a servant like this. Next time, somebody will say Mahatma Gandhi was a servant of the British. You are encouraging these kinds of statements,” Justice Datta said.
Rahul Gandhi has time and again accused Savarkar of bowing down to the British, calling him a “maafiveer”. His remarks have drawn massive backlash from the BJP, Shiv Sena, and other Maharashtra parties in the past.
