Remarks against Savarkar, jibe against ‘Modi’ surname and more: A look at defamation suits against Rahul Gandhi

Over the years, Gandhi has faced multiple criminal defamation cases. Here is a look at the key suits filed against him:

VD Savarkar defamation case

In January this year, Rahul Gandhi pleaded not guilty before an MP-MLA court in Pune in a defamation case filed by Satyaki Savarkar, the grandnephew of Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar. The complaint, filed on April 12, 2023, alleged that Gandhi had claimed in a London speech that Savarkar and a group of friends beat up a Muslim and were “delighted” about it. Satyaki asserted that no such book was written by Savarkar and no such incident ever occurred. He sought maximum punishment under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code.

Modi surname case

In August 2023, the Supreme Court stayed a Surat court’s conviction of Rahul Gandhi, which had sentenced him to two years’ imprisonment for remarks made in 2019 about the “Modi” surname. The comments were made at a rally in Kolar ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The case was filed by BJP MLA Purnesh Modi. Following the conviction, Gandhi was disqualified from the Lok Sabha but returned after the stay by the top court.

Shortly after, BJP leader Sushil Modi also filed a criminal defamation case over the same issue in a Patna court.

RSS as ‘21st Century Kauravas’

A case was filed against Gandhi in Haridwar CJM court for allegedly calling the RSS the “21st century Kauravas” during his Bharat Jodo Yatra stop in Kurukshetra. The complaint was lodged by the RSS volunteer Kamal Bhadoria.

Another Savarkar-related case

In November 2022, Vandana Dongre filed a defamation complaint over Gandhi’s alleged remarks that Savarkar wrote mercy petitions to the British “out of fear”, betraying freedom fighters like Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel.

‘Murder accused’ remark against Amit Shah

In May 2019, BJP member Krishnavadan Brahmbhatt filed a case in an Ahmedabad magistrate court over Gandhi calling Amit Shah a “murder accused” during a rally in Jabalpur ahead of the 2019 general election.

ADC Bank case over demonetisation remarks

In April 2019, the Ahmedabad District Co-Operative (ADC) Bank and its chairperson Ajay Patel filed a defamation case in Ahmedabad, accusing Gandhi of defaming Amit Shah by alleging money laundering during the 2016 demonetisation period, when Shah was a director of the bank.

Rafale deal case in Mumbai

BJP leader Mahesh Shrishrimal filed a defamation case in 2018 at the Girgaon magistrate court in Mumbai over Gandhi’s allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi concerning the Rafale fighter jet deal.

Bhiwandi case over Gandhi’s RSS remark

In 2014, Rajesh Kunte, claiming to be an RSS worker, filed a complaint in Bhiwandi, Thane, after Gandhi allegedly said in a rally that Mahatma Gandhi was killed by people associated with the RSS. Kunte alleged that the comment was aimed at harming the RSS’s reputation.

Gauri Lankesh murder case connection

Another case was filed in Mumbai in 2018 by RSS worker Dhrutiman Joshi against Gandhi and the late CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury. Joshi objected to their alleged attempts to link the RSS to the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh. Gandhi had reportedly said that “anybody who speaks against the ideology of the BJP, of the RSS, is pressured, beaten, attacked and even killed” following her assassination in September 2017.

Ranchi defamation case over BJP remarks

In 2018, BJP worker Navin Jha filed a defamation case in Ranchi’s CJM court over Gandhi’s alleged derogatory statements against the BJP at an internal All India Congress Committee (AICC) meeting.

RSS defamation suit in Guwahati

Anjan Kumar Bora, an RSS worker, filed a criminal defamation case in 2016 at a CJM court in Kamrup, Guwahati. He accused Gandhi of making false claims that RSS workers prevented him from entering a Barpeta monastery during a visit in December 2015 — a claim denied by the monastery.