In a surprise move, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Friday attended the court proceedings in Maharashtra’s Bhiwandi town in Thane district where he is facing a defamation suit filed by a worker of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
On Thursday, the Supreme Court had exempted Mr. Gandhi from making personal appearance in the court. However, the Congress leader attended the magisterial court here saying he had given the commitment to come here.
“I had made a commitment that I would come and I am fulfilling that. I am here because I respect the judiciary,” he told reporters while leaving the court.
An RSS worker called Rajesh Kunte has filed a defamation case against Mr. Gandhi over his speech that was delivered in Bhiwandi on March 6, 2014 in the run up to Lok Sabha polls. Mr. Gandhi had allegedly accused the RSS for killing Mahatma Gandhi. The petitioner has claimed that the Congress leader is trying to tarnish the image of the RSS.
“We are fighting the same fight that Gandhiji fought. We will fight that and we will win,” Mr. Gandhi told reporters.
He attended the court proceedings of in front of magistrate D. P. Kale for 15 minutes, as per the commitment of his lawyers. The next hearing of the case has been kept on September 30.
Earlier on Friday morning, the newly opened official Twitter account of office of Mr. Gandhi tweeted that “RG will be in Bhiwandi this morning to honour commitment to the trial court.”
