SC quashes complaint against Rahul Gandhi over Savarkar remarks

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday, August 14, quashed a criminal case and summons issued against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks about Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.

Gandhi had said that Vinayak collaborated with the British rulers during their colonial rule in India and even received a pension from them. A criminal hate speech complaint was lodged against him over the remarks, and an Uttar Pradesh magistrate had subsequently issued a subpoena to Gandhi.

The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha had filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking the quashing of the summons.

Today, Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu permitted the plea, observing that the criminal proceedings were lacking a specific provision under the law to prosecute the LoP in the case.

“We have heard learned counsel for the parties. In the affidavit filed by the respondent state of UP, there is no disclosure of a sanction having been granted. In such view of the matter, orders passed by the Magistrate shall be quashed,” the bench noted.

The detailed order is awaited.