After bail, Rahul Gandhi gets permanent exemption from court appearance in defamation case
Pune, Feb 18 (PTI): A Pune court on Tuesday granted permanent exemption from appearance to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case filed over his alleged objectionable remarks on Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar, citing his top-level security and the Leader of Opposition status.
An application seeking permanent exemption from appearing before the special court for MP/MLA was moved by Advocate Milind Pawar, who is representing Gandhi (54) in the defamation case, last month.
Pawar said on Tuesday they moved another application to convert the present "summary trial" into "summons trial" so that historical references and evidence can be discussed in the court.
"Summons trial" which entails detailed cross-examination is a lengthy legal proceeding as compared to "summary trial".
The case, in which the Congress leader obtained bail last month, was filed by a relative of Savarkar.
Amol Shinde, Judicial Magistrate (First Class) presiding over the special court for MP/MLA, in his order, stated that the accused is the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and has to attend several meetings.
Considering that he is a "Z-plus" protectee and taking into account expenses incurred on his security arrangements (during Pune visit) and also law and order issue if he attends the hearing, the court grants permanent exemption to Rahul Gandhi from appearing in the case, said the order.
Last month, the court had given bail to Rahul Gandhi after he virtually appeared before it in the case filed on a complaint of a grandnephew of Savarkar.
The complaint stemmed from a speech the Congress leader gave in London in March 2023, where he made certain remarks on the freedom fighter citing a book written by him.
Satyaki Savarkar, grandnephew the Hindutva ideologue, had filed a complaint in a Pune court against the Congress MP. In the complaint, he had claimed Gandhi, in his speech in London, stated that VD Savarkar had written in a book that he and five to six of his friends once beat up a Muslim man and he (Savarkar) felt happy.
As per the complaint, V D Savarkar has not written this anywhere in the book and Rahul Gandhi's remarks were defamatory.
"Considering the facts (cited by Rahul Gandhi's lawyer) this court finds that the accused is the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. He has to attend many programmes.... he is protected by Z+ security. The expenses of security are considerable. Due to law and order issue, this court finds that the accused should be granted permanent exemption from appearing in this case," the Judge said.
The next court hearing in the matter will take place on February 25.
The defence, in the plea seeking exemption for the Congress MP, also stated that the complainant (Satyaki Savarkar) claims to be a descendant of V D Savarkar, who was named as a co-conspirator in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Though the Hindutva ideologue was later acquitted by court, his co-accused and Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse, who was handed the death sentence, belonged to Pune, argued the defence.
The defence plea stated that the Pune district court building was a historic monument and some years back there was a "threat to bomb" the structure.
"It is also a fact that in the past, a murder had taken place in the Pune district court premises. Recently, security at the Pune district court was questioned. Past investigations revealed militants had visited the court premises for committing murder of an accused who was in judicial custody and advocates and judges had raised serious concerns about security then," the plea stated.
Sangram Kolhatkar, a lawyer representing Satyaki Savarkar, said though the court has allowed the plea for permanent exemption, they objected to defamatory references about Pune and its wrong projection by the defence team.
"We have strong objections to the reasons cited for seeking exemption such as Pune is insecure and dangerous, the Pune court building is insecure," he said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Marxism will remain relevant despite Left electoral's losses, says general secretary M A Baby
New Delhi (PTI): CPI(M) General Secretary M A Baby on Thursday asserted that the Left movement would remain relevant despite not being in power in any state, saying the ideology would continue to endure as long as social and economic inequalities persist.
Hitting back at BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar over his reported remarks that Marxism had become irrelevant, Baby, in an interview with PTI Videos, said, "So long as there is division in society, so long as there is exploitation of the majority of workers, peasants and ordinary masses by a handful of billionaires, Marxism will remain relevant."
"That perhaps Mr Rajeev Chandrasekhar may not be able to understand, but this is the fact of the matter," he said.
Baby acknowledged that the CPI(M)-led Left was currently without an elected government in any state, but maintained that electoral setbacks would not diminish the movement's role.
"We may not have an elected government in any state. There were occasions when we didn't have a government. But the red flag and the commitment to organise and struggle for the rights of the dispossessed, marginalised and exploited will always be upheld by CPI(M) and the Left movement," he said.
He said the Left continued to enjoy support among workers, peasants, agricultural labourers, youth, students and women, and argued that the movement remained necessary because "oppression and assault" continued in society.
"So long as such problems exist in society, the red flag and the working class movement will continue to work among the masses," the Left leader said.
Exuding confidence on the Left's revival, Baby said the party would reflect on the reasons behind its electoral loss.
"We may be rejected in one election, but we will stage our comeback by understanding what went wrong with us," he said, adding, "We will listen to people and we will come back with higher strength."
Baby also criticised the Congress over reported factional tensions in Kerala after the Congress-led United Democratic Front's victory in the state.
"The way they are behaving is being watched by the people of Kerala," he said, referring to infighting within the Congress.
"Those who have given a massive majority to Congress and UDF would be watching all this," he added, while urging party leaders to "settle the problem in an amicable, democratic manner".
Referring to West Bengal, Baby alleged that violence had escalated following the BJP's victory in the state assembly polls.
"It is quite unfortunate that the moment BJP snatched a massive victory in West Bengal, violence has also started on a big scale," he said.
He also accused the Trinamool Congress of being "notorious for violent activities" and alleged that the "RSS-controlled BJP" had "unleashed violence in many places" after the election results.
"This is not good for Bengal, not good for the country. We wish and hope that normalcy would be restored as soon as possible," he said.
Baby said the CPI(M) and the Left in West Bengal would continue efforts to "pacify people" and avoid violence and confrontation.
Asked about former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan not reacting publicly to the election results, Baby said Vijayan would respond "at an appropriate time".
