Never blamed RSS as an institution for assassinating Gandhi': Rahul tells SC
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday accepted Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi defence that he never blamed the RSS as an institution for the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, but only those associated with, it in the defamation case filed against him by the outfit.
A bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and R F Nariman, which was hearing the petition filed by Gandhi challenging the summons issued to him as an accused in a defamation case, said it will dispose of the petition if the complainant agreed.
The bench noted that the Congress leader had filed an affidavit in the Bombay High Court while seeking quashing of the defamation complaint against him stating that, at an election rally, he had not blamed RSS as an institution for the assassination of Gandhi but a person associated with it.
The bench, which posted the matter for September 1, asked the complainant's counsel and senior advocate U R Lalit to seek instruction whether the complainant was ready to end the case if Gandhi's statement is taken on record.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Congress Vice President, drew the attention of the bench to the affidavit filed in the high court.
The bench, which heard the matter for about half-an-hour, said "what we understand is that the accused never blamed RSS as an institution that killed Mahatma Gandhi but the person associated with it."
In 2014, while addressing a rally in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra, Rahul Gandhi had alleged that members of the RSS had assassinated Mahatma Gandhi on January 30, 1948.
Gandhi was reported as saying, "RSS people killed Gandhi ji. They opposed Sardar Patel and Gandhi ji."
In May 2015, Rahul Gandhi had moved the Supreme Court, seeking a dismissal of the criminal case. Later, on July 19, 2016, the Supreme Court said that indulging in 'collective denunciation' against an organisation is wrong.
The Congress vice-president has maintained that his statement on RSS' involvement in the Mahatma Gandhi killing was a historical fact and his counsel has asserted that his statement was within his right to free speech.
The case was by filed by RSS worker Rajesh Kunte against Gandhi in a Maharashtra court for allegedly blaming the RSS for Mahatma Gandhi's assassination.
