SC asks Rahul to regret or face trial |
The Supreme Court on July 19, 2016, asked Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi to express regret for his comments holding the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) responsible for Mahatma Gandhi`s assassination or be ready to face a defamation trial. The court asked why he made a sweeping statement against the RSS branding everyone associated with the organization in the same brush. The Supreme Court asked Rahul Gandhi to regret while hearing a defamation case filed against him. The bench said he can`t make wholesale denunciation of an organization. Rahul Gandhi`s counsel tried to justify his remarks saying these are historical facts and even part of the government records. The apex court said that Rahul needed to prove what was the public good in his statement against the RSS and hence it was a matter of trial.The SC said that if Rahul Gandhi wanted to defend himself and was not ready to express his regret, then it will be better that he faced trial. A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and R F Nariman refused Rahul`s request for two-week adjournment and posted the matter for hearing on July 27, saying no further postponement of hearing would be allowed. Rahul had said " RSS people killed Gandhiji and today their people (BJP) talk of him...They opposed Sardar Patel and Gandhiji", during his election rally at Thane in Mumbai in March 2014.
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