Rahul Gandhi portrayed Savarkar as ‘extreme hater of Muslims’, grandnephew tells court
PUNE: Satyaki Savarkar, grandnephew of Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar, told a special court in Pune on Tuesday that Savarkar “never hated Muslims” and had written about ways for their progress, while alleging that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had portrayed him as an “extreme hater of Muslims”.
What is the defamation case against Rahul Gandhi?
Satyaki made the remarks while being cross-examined by advocate Milind Pawar in a criminal defamation case linked to statements allegedly made by Gandhi in London in 2023, news agency PTI reported. During the proceedings, Pawar also submitted a 2004 video interview of Satyaki’s grandfather Gopal Godse along with its transcripts, PTI reported. The case concerns Gandhi’s alleged remarks made in London in 2023. (With agency inputs) You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Pune | Silver Rate in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune | Petrol Price in Pune | Diesel Price in Pune | CNG Price in Pune | LPG Price in Pune Stay updated with the latest Pune news.
Satyaki referred to Gandhi’s statement that “Savarkar had written in a book that he and five to six friends had assaulted a Muslim youth and derived pleasure from the act”. Rather, in his writings, he showed the ways and means for their progress,” he said. During the cross-examination, Pawar asked Satyaki to identify the exact words in Gandhi’s alleged speech that he believed had lowered the reputation of Swatantryaveer Savarkar. “By these words, Savarkar was portrayed as an extreme hater of Muslims and as a mob lyncher. Savarkar never hated Muslims. Gopal Godse, the younger brother of Nathuram Godse, is purportedly heard acknowledging in the interview that Nathuram Godse was an RSS member. Nathuram Godse was one of the conspirators in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Satyaki had filed the criminal defamation case against Gandhi, alleging that the Congress leader falsely claimed that V D Savarkar had written in a book about assaulting a Muslim youth with five or six friends and deriving pleasure from the act. The complainant has maintained that no such incident appears in Savarkar’s writings. Download the TOI App.