RSS Worker Did Not Represent the British in Bhagat Singh’s Trial

The social media claims of a RSS worker pleading for Bhagat Singh’s death sentence are false.

Screenshot of Facebook post claiming RSS pracharak pleaded for Bhagat Singh’s death sentence

(Image altered by The Quint)

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CLAIM

A social media post is doing the rounds claiming that Satyanarayan Sharma, a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) pracharak, appeared as a counsel for the British in Bhagat Singh’s trial and pleaded in favour of his death sentence.

A screenshot of the post that claims a RSS worker appeared as a counsel during Bhagat SIngh’s trial. (Picture courtesy: Facebook/Andh Bhakt Logic)

The post is sourced from a Facebook page, called the Andh Bhakt Logic.

The post -- which has been shared several times -- has a watermark of another Facebook page, ‘Viral In India’, but the post could not be located on the group.

A screenshot of a Facebook user who had shared the post. (Picture courtesy: Facebook)

There are similar claims on social media about people linked to the RSS allegedly appearing as counsels for the British during the freedom fighter’s trial.

TRUE OR FALSE

The claims are false. The Quint reached out to experts and scholars who said that no RSS-linked lawyer was involved in the trial in which Bhagat Singh was sentenced to death.

NO SUCH LAWYER WAS INVOLVED, SAY EXPERTS

Professor Malwinderjit Singh Waraich, a former lecturer who has authored several books on Bhagat Singh, told The Quint, "No lawyer by the name Satyanarayan Sharma appeared for the British against Bhagat Singh."

Waraich, also a criminal lawyer, has written Hanging of Bhagat Singh Confessions, Statements and other Documents and The Hanging of Bhagat Singh Vol. 2 Complete Tribunal Proceedings with Sukhdev's remarks.

Professor Chaman Lal, who wrote Understanding Bhagat Singh and Bhagat Singh Aur Unke Sathiyon Ke Dastavez, said as far as he knows, there were no Indian counsels who had represented the British in the case. Lal said that he has heard such false claims before.

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