Nashik court grants bail to Rahul Gandhi in defamation case over remarks about Savarkar
Mumbai, Jul 24 (PTI): A court in Maharashtra's Nashik city on Thursday granted bail to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case filed against him for remarks about Hindutva ideologue and freedom fighter V D Savarkar during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in 2022.
Appearing through video link before additional chief judicial magistrate R C Narwadia, Gandhi, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, pleaded `not guilty'.
Nashik-resident Devendra Bhutada, through his lawyer Manoj Pingle, has filed the criminal defamation case under sections 500 (defamation) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the Indian Penal Code.
After Gandhi pleaded not guilty, his lawyers sought bail.
The court allowed the plea on a bond of Rs 15,000, said advocate Pingle.
The complainant, director of an NGO, alleged that Gandhi, at a press conference in Hingoli and in a speech during his yatra in November 2022, made statements that harmed Savarkar's reputation.
"The speech of the accused along with press statements try to ruin the reputation of the complainant's idol Swatantryaveer Savarkar and his contribution to the society along with his noble work in the pre-independence period," the complaint said.
Gandhi said that "Savarkar prayed for release with folded hands and later on promised to work for the British government", it alleged.
Gandhi is also facing a defamation case in Pune, filed by Savarkar's grandnephew, over his statements about the late Hindutva ideologue.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
