Rahul Gandhi may appear in court on November 16

Almost two years after a magisterial court in Maharashtra’s Bhiwandi issued summons to Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi —asking him to appear before it in connection with his alleged defamatory speech against RSS in March 2014 — he will be required to appear before the court on November 16.

The Supreme Court had recently refused to grant him an exemption from personal appearances in the trial’s proceedings.

“Since Rahul Gandhi has refused to apologise and has made a statement that he is ready to face trial, now it is his duty to bring proof to show that RSS was behind the murder of Gandhiji,” said Rajesh Kunte, the RSS member who has filed the complaint against Mr Gandhi.

Speaking to The Asian Age, Mr Kunte also said that the apex court refused to grant him any relief and hence, it is clear that to save his political career, the Congress leader decided to face the trial instead of seeking an apology.

Mr Kunte’s lawyer, Ganesh Dhargalkar, said that the magistrate court had issued summons on the complaint on July 14, 2014, but Mr Gandhi challenged it in the high court and later in the Supreme Court. But, Mr Dhargalkar added, since he did not get any relief, he now has no other option but to appear before the court on November 16.

He also said that he anticipates a long legal battle as the Congress leader took two years just to challenge the summons.

“Now, the procedure of the court requires him to appear before the court and obtain bail. Since it is a bailable offence, he is likely to get bail, after which the court would fix the next date of hearing,” Mr Dhargalkar added.

It may be recalled that while addressing a public rally at Sonale in Bhiwandi on March 6, 2014, Mr Gandhi had alleged that it was ‘RSS people’ who had killed Mahatma Gandhi.