RSS Defamation Case: Maharashtra Court Rejects Rahul Gandhi’s Plea

Image used for representational purposes.

(Photo: PTI)

A court in Mumbai on Saturday, 23 November, rejected the applications of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury seeking dismissal of a defamation complaint filed by an RSS worker, PTI reported.

The duo will now face trial in the case.

RSS activist and advocate Dhrutiman Joshi had filed the complaint seeking initiation of defamation proceedings against Gandhi and Yechury for allegedly linking the Sangh to the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh.

Lankesh was shot dead in Bengaluru in 2017.

Rahul Gandhi, on 4 July, had pleaded not guilty in the defamation case. He was then released on a Rs 15,000 surety amount by the Mazgaon Metropolitan Magistrate court.

The court in February had also issued summons to Yechury in response to the private complaint filed by Dhrutiman Joshi.

As per PTI, Joshi in his complaint stated that Gandhi, after the death of Lankesh in September 2017, told reporters that the BJP and RSS “attacked” and “killed” people who spoke against their ideologies.

The complaint further alleged that Yechury stated it was the RSS' ideology and people who killed Lankesh.

(With inputs from PTI)