The Crossbill Team
Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday (August 13), told a Pune court that he faces a serious threat to his life in light of his recent political interventions and the family background of complainant Satyaki Savarkar in the defamation case pending against him.
Appearing before the special MP/MLA court, Gandhi urged the bench to take judicial notice of his concerns, stating that he has “grave apprehensions” regarding his safety as well as the fairness of the proceedings.
He sought “preventive protection” from the state, describing it as both a prudent step and a constitutional obligation. The application, filed through advocate Milind Dattatraya Pawar, said the move was a “protective and precautionary measure” to safeguard the integrity and transparency of the trial, Bar and Bench reported.
According to Gandhi’s submission, Satyaki Savarkar, in a written statement dated July 29, had admitted that through his maternal lineage, he is a direct descendant of Nathuram Godse and Gopal Godse, the principal accused in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.
The complainant has also claimed descent from Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. Gandhi’s plea argued that “given the documented history of violent and anti-constitutional tendencies linked to the complainant’s lineage, there exists a clear, reasonable, and substantial apprehension” that he could face harm or wrongful targeting.
The application emphasised that Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination was not an impulsive act but the calculated result of a conspiracy rooted in a specific ideology.
“In view of the grave history associated with such lineage, the defence harbours a genuine and reasonable apprehension that history must not be permitted to repeat itself,” the plea warned.
Gandhi also linked his concerns to recent political developments, including his August 11 use of the slogan “Vote Chor Sarkar” in Parliament and the submission of documents alleging electoral irregularities, which he said had provoked hostility from political rivals.
He referred to his recent speech in the House where he stated, “A true Hindu is never violent. A Hindu cannot spread hatred. The BJP spreads hatred and violence, and you do not represent Hindus.”
Following this speech, Gandhi noted, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi held press conferences accusing him of insulting Hindus and lowering the dignity of his office. His application also cited threats made against him, including one from Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, who allegedly called him the “number one terrorist of the country,” and another from BJP leader Tarvinder Singh Marwah.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for September 10.
The defamation case stems from a speech Gandhi delivered in London in March 2023, in which he allegedly referred to writings by V.D. Savarkar describing an incident where Savarkar and others assaulted a Muslim man—a situation Savarkar purportedly described as “pleasurable.” Satyaki Savarkar has denied any such incident is mentioned in Savarkar’s works and filed the case in 2023.
Appearing before the special MP/MLA court, Gandhi urged the bench to take judicial notice of his concerns, stating that he has “grave apprehensions” regarding his safety as well as the fairness of the proceedings.
He sought “preventive protection” from the state, describing it as both a prudent step and a constitutional obligation. The application, filed through advocate Milind Dattatraya Pawar, said the move was a “protective and precautionary measure” to safeguard the integrity and transparency of the trial, Bar and Bench reported.
According to Gandhi’s submission, Satyaki Savarkar, in a written statement dated July 29, had admitted that through his maternal lineage, he is a direct descendant of Nathuram Godse and Gopal Godse, the principal accused in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.
The complainant has also claimed descent from Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. Gandhi’s plea argued that “given the documented history of violent and anti-constitutional tendencies linked to the complainant’s lineage, there exists a clear, reasonable, and substantial apprehension” that he could face harm or wrongful targeting.
The application emphasised that Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination was not an impulsive act but the calculated result of a conspiracy rooted in a specific ideology.
“In view of the grave history associated with such lineage, the defence harbours a genuine and reasonable apprehension that history must not be permitted to repeat itself,” the plea warned.
Gandhi also linked his concerns to recent political developments, including his August 11 use of the slogan “Vote Chor Sarkar” in Parliament and the submission of documents alleging electoral irregularities, which he said had provoked hostility from political rivals.
He referred to his recent speech in the House where he stated, “A true Hindu is never violent. A Hindu cannot spread hatred. The BJP spreads hatred and violence, and you do not represent Hindus.”
Following this speech, Gandhi noted, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi held press conferences accusing him of insulting Hindus and lowering the dignity of his office. His application also cited threats made against him, including one from Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, who allegedly called him the “number one terrorist of the country,” and another from BJP leader Tarvinder Singh Marwah.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for September 10.
The defamation case stems from a speech Gandhi delivered in London in March 2023, in which he allegedly referred to writings by V.D. Savarkar describing an incident where Savarkar and others assaulted a Muslim man—a situation Savarkar purportedly described as “pleasurable.” Satyaki Savarkar has denied any such incident is mentioned in Savarkar’s works and filed the case in 2023.
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