SC slams Rahul Gandhi for 'irresponsible' remarks on Savarkar, asks him stop mocking freedom fighters

New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India on Firday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his "irresponsible" remarks on Vinayak Damodar Savarkar at a rally in Maharashtra but stayed the criminal proceedings against him. However, the court warned the Lok Sabha MP that if he made any such comments in futute, ‘suo motu’ action will be initiated against him.

According to a PTI report, a bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Manmohan asked him "Let's not mock our freedom fighters."

The bench further asked senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Gandhi, whether he knew that even Mahatma Gandhi used the words such as "your faithful servant" in his communications to the Britishers.

“ Does your client know that Mahatma Gandhi also used 'your faithful servant' while addressing the viceroy? Can Mahatma Gandhi be called a 'servant of Britishers' merely because he addressed himself to the viceroy as 'your servant'. In those days, even I have seen, our judges of the Calcutta High Court used to address Chief Justice as writing 'your servant',” asked the court.

Justice Datta added, "Does your client know that his grandmother (Indira Gandhi), when she was the Prime Minister, also sent a letter praising this very gentleman (Savarkar)?"

The bench ordered Rahul Gandhi’s lawyer that his client should not dare to repeat similar offensive comments on any freedom fighters.

"So, let's not make irresponsible statements about freedom fighters. You have made a good point on law, you are entitled to stay. We are not saying anything on that. Any further statement by him (Gandhi) will be taken up suo motu. No more words on our freedom fighters…. They have given us freedom and we treat them like this? This is not the way," the bench warned.

Singhvi urged the court to not make any comments and argued that Gandhi did not intend to create enmity between the groups.

"This is not how you treat freedom fighters…when you don't know anything about the history of India, you should not make any such comments.He is a leader of a political party and why would you make a comment like this…you go to Maharashtra, he (Savarkar) is worshipped there. Don't do this," said Justice Dutta.

After the hearing, the apex court issued a notice to Uttar Pradesh government and complainant advocate Nripendra Pandey and stayed the Allahabad High Court’s order which refused to quash trial court's summons against Gandhi.

Gandhi moved the apex court against the order of the Allahabad high court. A case under various provisions for alleged offences such as promoting enmity between classes and public mischief was lodged against him by Pandey.

The case stems from the Congress leader's comments on Savarkar made on November 17, 2022, during his Bharat Jodo Yatra at a rally in Maharashtra's Akola district.

The complainant has accused Gandhi of intentionally insulting Savarkar during the rally and said his remarks were part of a "well-planned conspiracy" to defame Savarkar. 

Before the high court, Gandhi challenged a trial court's decision to summon him in the case while contesting the ongoing proceedings against him.